MY ACCOUNT
– Managerless Leicester have taken just one point from their last seven league games
– Only two Premier League teams have collected fewer away points than Bournemouth
– Recommended bet: Draw
While no one-off tie in the Premier League’s extraordinary nine-club relegation scrap could yet be labelled a must-win encounter, the result of this meeting between second-from-bottom Leicester and third-from-bottom Bournemouth is likely to prove hugely significant.
Leicester are stalling badly and are in desperate need of a spark after plummeting down the table and sacking manager Brendan Rodgers in recent weeks.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, have reignited hope with a handful of decent results but will be equally desperate not to shatter the fragile confidence building at the Vitality Stadium.
With only one team having collected fewer points at home than Leicester this season and only two taking fewer than Bournemouth on the road, this relegation scrap is unlikely to be a classic.
But style will come a distant second to substance if either team can find a route to all three points on Saturday afternoon.
Team news
Leicester full-back James Justin and midfielder Youri Tielemans remain out injured, while Jannik Vestergaard has been left out of the first-team squad.
Left-back Ryan Bertrand has an outside chance of returning after over a year out with a knee injury, and centre-back Jonny Evans could recover for the visit of Bournemouth. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is suspended, however, having picked up two yellow cards in Tuesday’s defeat to Aston Villa.
Bournemouth full-back Ryan Fredericks has a calf injury, so he joins winger Junior Stanislas on the sidelines, while centre-back Marcos Senesi is also a significant doubt due to a hamstring concern.
The stats
Leicester have lost six and drawn one of their last seven league games, including a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, making it three consecutive home defeats for the Foxes.
Indeed, home advantage has been of little use all season for a Leicester side who have lost six of their last eight league matches on Filbert Way and have collected just 12 points from 14 home matches in 2022-23.
Bournemouth have avoided defeat in five of their last 10 league matches, winning three, but have struggled on the road, losing eight of their previous nine Premier League away games.
However, Gary O’Neil’s Cherries have been decent against their fellow strugglers, winning four and drawing two of 10 games against others in the bottom nine, including victories at Nottingham Forest and Wolves in just four away trips to those opponents.
Prediction
Neither team can make a compelling case for favouritism at the King Power Stadium, with Leicester managerless and short of confidence, having taken one point from seven games, while Bournemouth have one of the poorest away records in the top flight.
Defeat would deliver a costly blow to confidence in a tight relegation scrap, so both managers will be tempted to hold on to what they have if they go into the final ten minutes with the scores level.
Neither team has been anywhere near solid enough to suggest they can hold out under sustained pressure, making a late equaliser likely if one of the two teams has a late lead to hold on to.
Back the draw, available at 14/5 with LiveScore Bet.
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