Premier League Duo Seek to Halt Miserable End to 2024

Leicester City vs Manchester City

Three Premier League defeats on the bounce which have left them in the drop zone, or just one win in 13 in all competitions – whichever way you look at it, it’s been a seriously miserable end to 2024 for the city clubs of Leicester and Manchester.

Overall, fans of both Leicester City and Manchester City can still look back fondly on the year with title triumphs in the Championship and top-flight respectively. City also lifted the Community Shield.

By contrast, though, the backend of the calendar year has been one to forget with very few Premier League 2024 highlights. Can something give in their final outings before 2024 becomes 2025?

 

Talking Points 

Let’s start at the top. I personally didn’t expect City to retain the title for a fifth successive year this term but certainly didn’t anticipate their previously all-conquering outfit to suffer such a remarkable drop-off either.

As it stands, they have won just once in their last 13 games in league and cup.

Their latest underwhelming result came on Boxing Day when they were held at home by Everton, a contest in which Pep Guardiola’s side showed they are woefully short of confidence as they failed to stretch their lead against a stubborn but limited opponent.

Since the start of November, City have conceded 26 goals. In that time, the only side from Europe’s big-five leagues to concede more is Heidenheim (28), who are 16th in Germany’s Bundesliga.

The question has been asked before, what does this Manchester City express, other than the self-evident maths that the richest club in the richest league with the best manager, all put together without jeopardy or personal interest or financial risk, will inevitably succeed. Over the next year we will find out whether this is an horrendous blip or a genuine power shift?

Either way, they should be too strong for a newly promoted side who are struggling to stay afloat.

As far as this SBOTOP writer is concerned, the decision to sack Steve Cooper was a harsh one by Leicester. Successor Ruud van Nistelrooy made a decent start with four points from his first two games but reverses in their last three, including a heavy defeat at home to fellow strugglers Wolves, have left them languishing in the bottom three.

It has been a disruptive return to the Premier League for the Foxes since winning promotion under the guidance of Enzo Maresca. His departure to Chelsea paved the way for Cooper to take charge, but the former Nottingham Forest boss lasted just a dozen league games before he was dismissed.

Van Nistelrooy’s first five games in charge have yielded just those four points, but it will be matches against the likes of Crystal Palace in mid-January in which their Premier League fate will surely be decided. Anything they get against City will surely be a bonus.

 

History

A fixture first fought in the days of Division Two in 1895 – when Leicester were suffixed with Fosse (and defeated City 3-1 in their inaugural game) – the Foxes have now collided with City on 127 occasions but have come out on the wrong end of the scoreline more often than not.

Indeed, the Citizens have come up trumps 66 times in this fixture, including a league double in 2022-23 before the Foxes dropped down to the Championship. A superb Kevin De Bruyne free-kick settled the first contest before John Stones and Erling Haaland (two, one penalty) were on target in a 3-1 home City win in the return game.

Leicester marched to their 32nd and most recent victory in the 2021 Community Shield, thanks to a Kelechi Iheanacho penalty which followed up their FA Cup success over Chelsea.

Guardiola’s first ever game against Leicester in 2016 left him and his team with a bloodied nose. In fact, the then-reigning champions were 4-0 up at one stage, inspired by Jamie Vardy, before City pulled two goals back in a memorable 4-2 victory for the home side.

City have won eight of the last 10 meetings.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 betting odds suggests this City run cannot continue much longer, and I agree. The champions are priced 1X2 @ 1.33 in contrast to the Foxes who can be backed 1X2 @ 6.30. The draw is on offer @ 5.10.

Asian Handicap is also overwhelmingly in favour of the visitors who are on offer -1.75 @ 2.14, compared to Leicester +1.50 @ 1.96. A repeat of their last meeting in the East Midlands two years and two months ago will pay out @ 11.50 with Correct Score 0-1.

There has only been one goalless draw between the sides in the last 28 years and that came in December 2015 – the season of Leicester’s miracle and momentous title triumph.

I don’t fancy another one yet – although Total Goal 0-1 will earn you a pay day at an attractive @ 5.90 – but I do like the look of Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.36 and 4-6 @ 2.22 The former tempted me, but mytip isas they will finish the year by ending their winless run.

   

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