Manchester City will host Leicester City at the Etihad on Wednesday, aiming to grind out a victory and push for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Manchester City are fifth in the Premier League standings, and they cannot afford to miss out on a top-four finish as they get set for the game vs Leicester City at home this week. Pep Guardiola’s men picked up an impressive victory over Bournemouth in the FA Cup recently, and they will look to build on that result here.

Meanwhile, they are up against one of the worst teams in the division, and Leicester City are 19th in the league table. The Foxes are one of the favourites to go down to the Championship this term, and it will be interesting to see if they can pull off an upset here.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men are coming into this game on the back of six consecutive defeats in the Premier League, and they will need a major slice of luck to get anything out of this contest. They will be major underdogs here, and Manchester City could pile further misery on them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester City

Manchester City will be without Rodri due to a knee injury. John Stones and Manuel Akanji will miss out with thigh and groin injuries, respectively, while Nathan Ake has an ankle injury, and Erling Haaland picked up a knock against Bournemouth.

Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Leicester City, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ruben Dias will form the central defensive partnership alongside Abdukodir Khusanov.

llkay Gundogan will add control and composure to the side alongside Nico Gonzalez, who will add creativity to the side. Kevin De Bruyne will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Omar Marmoush is set to lead the line for Manchester City vs Leicester City on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Khusanov, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Gonzalez; Foden, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush

Leicester City

The Foxes will be without Abdul Fatawu Issahaku due to a long-term knee injury. Leicester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City on Wednesday, with Jakub Stolarczyk in goal.

James Justin and Victor Kristiansen will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Wout Faes will pair up at the heart of the defence alongside Jannik Vestergaard.

As for the midfield unit, Harry Winks will start alongside Boubakary Soumare in the double pivot. Winks will look to add composure and control to the side, and Soumare will look to break down the opposition’s attacking moves and win the ball back for his side.

Jordan Ayew and Stephy Mavididi will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Facundo Buonanotte will reprise the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Jamie Vardy will spearhead the Leicester City attack vs Manchester City on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Stolarczyk; Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen; Winks, Soumare; Ayew, Buonanotte, Mavididi; Vardy

Key Stats

• Leicester City have failed to score in their last six matches in the Premier League.
• Leicester City have lost their last six matches in the Premier League.
• Leicester City have conceded at least two goals in 13 of their last 15 matches in the Premier League.
• 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between the two teams.
• Manchester City have won five of the last six meetings vs Leicester City.

Player to Watch

Omar Marmoush

Embed from Getty Images

The Egyptian international striker is our key player to watch out for this week. In the absence of Erling Haaland, he will have to shoulder the goal-scoring responsibility. Marmoush has had an outstanding season so far, and he has managed to adapt to English football quickly. He will look to make his mark here.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt attacker will look to add to his goal tally and create openings for his teammates as well. Leicester City have been quite vulnerable defensively, and the Egyptian could punish them in the final third.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-0 Leicester City

Manchester City are the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out all three points easily. The visitors are completely lacking in form and confidence. This is going to be an uphill challenge for them, especially away from home and Manchester City could hand them a thrashing here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.