Southampton Vs Leicester
Southampton Vs Leicester Friday 30th April 2021 – 20:00 (Sky Sports)
English Premier League
Pick: Leicester to WIN
Odds: 6/5
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 28th April 2021)
Preview: At St Mary’s on Friday, hosts Southampton will need to find a way of stifling the red hot Kelechi Iheanhaco if they are to somehow prevent a fourth straight Premier League home defeat to Leicester City.
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Table of Contents
Southampton – Saints overly reliant on Ings?
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl will have spent the past nine days since losing 2-1 to Tottenham sweating over the availability of his star striker. Danny Ings has endured a campaign plagued by setbacks and limped off last time, after earlier given his side the lead. The 28-year-old remains the club’s most influential figure, though, contributing towards more league goals in 2020/21 (10 goals, 4 assists) than any team-mate.
Should Ings not recover in time, it would deprive Southampton (W10 D6 L16), who have scored no more than once in 12 of the last 16 top-flight games and eight of the past nine (W2 D1 L5) at St Mary’s, of their primary source of goals. Meanwhile the Spurs loss was their third on the bounce, thrashed 3-0 by West Brom prior to a meek showing against Leicester in the FA Cup semi-final.
That was their second meeting this term with Brendan Rodgers’ men, who also won the league meeting at King Power Stadium 2-0. It means the Saints are without a goal in four of the previous six encounters with The Foxes, losing each of the last three at St Mary’s by an aggregate of 2-15 having suffered the ignominy of being on the end of their heaviest ever Premier League defeat (0-9) in last season’s clash here.
Leicester – Iheanacho easing burden on Vardy?
The Foxes endured heartbreak on the final day of last season when defeat to Manchester United cost them a place in the Champions League. It is therefore to their credit, and in particular manager Brendan Rodgers, that this team has come back stronger. Monday’s 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace keeping Leicester (W19 D5 L9) third in the table but widening the gap to West Ham in fifth to seven points.
It required another huge performance from their man of 2021 to get the job done last time out, against surprisingly spirited visitors. Palace had nothing to play for coming into the match but established a lead early on before Keleachi Iheanacho spearheaded a fightback which could prove crucial in the context of the top-four battle. The Nigerian laid on the assist for the equaliser before rifling home a late winner.
With 14 goals in his last 14 appearances in all competitions, Iheanacho is in the form of his career. Leicester have now won four of their past six Premier League games, only losing to Man City and West Ham in this time, with the 24-year-old on target in each victory. Meanwhile, four of their last five away goals were scored by the Nigerian, who is bidding to find the net for the fourth consecutive away league game.
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Southampton vs Leicester Betting Advice
Since topping the Premier League in November, only recently relegated Sheffield United (16) have accumulated fewer points than the 20 of Southampton. That highlights the stark decline of a side whose league form has been woeful in 2021, registering just two wins in fifteen (D1 L12) – and one in six (D1 L4) at St Mary’s – since starting the year with victory at home to the reigning champions, Liverpool.
Southampton Vs Leicester City – Key Facts:
- This will be the third competitive meeting of 2020/21 for these sides. Victory for Leicester, who won on each of their last three league visits to St Mary’s, would complete a hat-trick of wins.
- Since beating Liverpool 1-0 on 4 January, Southampton have taken four of a possible 18 points (W1 D1 L4) at St Mary’s. They came from 2-0 down to beat Burnley 3-2 in the most recent of those.
- Only leaders Man City have registered more points across the last six Premier League games than Leicester (12 – W4 L2). Coming from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home on Monday.
Leicester have the bit between their teeth, as they say, after four wins in six league outings. Brendan Rodgers also has an FA Cup final to look forward to, after edging out Friday’s opponents in the semi-final earlier in the month. That made it three wins in four meetings since the start of last season. They’ve also won the last three times they visited St Mary’s in the Premier League, running riot in a 9-0 victory last term.
Best Betting Odds – Southampton Vs Leicester City
Southampton – 11/5 (BetFred)
Draw – 27/10 (PaddyPower)
Leicester City – 6/5 (BetVictor)
