Leicester City will be looking to build on their stunning Champions League triumph over Sevilla when they take on West Ham United at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Foxes, reigning league champions, have NOT won away from home in the league ALL season. In thirteen fixtures on the road so far, they’ve drawn three and lost 10 and are up against a West Ham side who are on a four game winless streak of their own.
Dip in form
West Ham United have been struggling to find their best form of late. After sharing the spoils with the likes of WBA and Watford, the Hammers suffered back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Bournemouth in their previous two league fixtures. Slaven Bilic’s side occupy 11th place in the Premier League standings ahead of Leicester’s visit, but a win over the title holders could propel them into the top half of the table.
West Ham’s last home game (WHUFC 1-2 Chelsea)
Ogbonna, Sakho and Tore are definitely out for the Hammers, and there are questions over the fitness of Robert Snodgrass. There have also been rumours that Bilic might drop Mark Noble, who criticised fans in a recent interview.
Likely to be axed? Mark Noble
Craig Shakespeare – el savior!
Claudio Ranieri paid priced for poor results in the 2016/2017 Premier League campaign and it seems as if Leicester City chiefs made a right decision when they appointed Craig Shakespeare as new manager. The Foxes outplayed Liverpool (3-1) on his debut and they came from behind to beat Hull City in the relegation six-pointer.
To make things even better for the fans, Shakespeare helped orchestrate a stunning 2-0 win over reigning Europa League champions Sevilla at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night, leaving Leicester as England’s ONLY representatives in the quarterfinal stages of the Champions League, where they will be hobnobbing with the likes of Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
They may be sailing high in Europe, but Shakespeare will be aware that the Foxes are only three points clear of the relegation zone ahead of Matchday 29, meaning that Saturday’s game against West Ham United is of big importance for the visitors.
Nampalys Mendy is the only major injury concern for Leicester, but it is hard to see Shakespeare not keep the same XI that did the business against Sevilla in midweek.
Prediction
The Foxes, bear in mind, have not won away in the league all season, but all those results came under Ranieri and not Shakespeare. No Leicester manager has won his opening three league games in charge of the club, and Shakespeare has the chance to make history at the London Stadium on Saturday. We reckon the Hammers can definitely pinch a draw here, and in fact their odds (39/29) for a win are better than Leicester’s 12/5 (at the time of writing). Check out FootballPredictions.com for more Round 29 predictions, including Liverpool’s tasty one against Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
Bournemouth, for it is worth, had not won a league game in 2017 until their meeting with the Hammers.
The reverse fixture at the King Power earlier this season went 1-0 in favour of Leicester. The Foxes also won away in the 2015/16 season and are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions against the Hammers.
West Ham v Leicester kicks off at 15.00 on Saturday 18, March, 2017
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