Manchester City will be aiming to return to the top of the Premier League on Monday evening when they welcome Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium.
Victory for Liverpool on Saturday against Newcastle means that Pep Guardiola’s side are in need of three points against the Foxes in order to restore a one-point lead over the Reds as the season approaches a dramatic finale.
A win against Brendan Rodgers’ men will ensure that City’s fate rests in their own hands when they travel south to take on Brighton in their final league match of the campaign next Sunday.
However, they will have to earn the points against a side which recently defeated Arsenal 3-0 and also managed to beat the reigning champions when the sides met at the King Power Stadium back in December.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It can be streamed on the Sky Go app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Man City squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ederson, Muric, Grimshaw |
| Defenders | Walker, Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Otamendi, Kompany |
| Midfielders | Gundogan, Delph, B. Silva, D. Silva, Mahrez, Zinchenko, Foden, Sterling, Sane |
| Forwards | Aguero, Jesus |
Kevin De Bruyne remains a serious concern for City after the midfielder sustained a hamstring injury two weeks ago and is set to miss out.
Fernandinho, who is recovering from a knee injury, is likely to join the Belgium international on the sidelines. Benjamin Mendy, meanwhile, is another absentee thanks to a persistent knee complaint.
Possible Man City starting XI: Ederson; Zinchenko, Laporte, Stones, Walker; D. Silva, Gundogan, B. Silva; Sterling, Sane, Aguero.
| Position | Leicester City squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Schmeichel, Ward, Jakupovic |
| Defenders | Simpson, Chilwell, Soyuncu, Morgan, Evans, Pereira, Maguire, Fuchs |
| Midfielders | Gray, Maddison, Albrighton, Barnes, Tielemans, Mendy, Ndidi, Ghezzal, Choudhury, James, Leshabela |
| Forwards | Iheanacho, Vardy, Okazaki |
Luckily for Leicester there are no new injury issues to contend with ahead of the game, with Daniel Amartey the only player who is expected to be unavailable.
Potential Leicester City starting XI: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell; Ndidi, Choudhury, Tielemans, Albrighton, Maddison; Vardy.
Betting & Match Odds
It is no surprise to see Manchester City as favourites, with bet365 giving odds of 2/11 on Guardiola’s side to triumph.
Leicester’s chances of winning are rated at 14/1 and a draw is available at 8/1.
Match Preview
Manchester City and Liverpool have pushed each other intensely throughout the season and Guardiola’s men will be desperate to ensure they don’t relent with just two gameweeks left.
The refusal of the Reds to succumb to Newcastle on Saturday as they snatched a late victory will have drawn some begrudging admiration from City and Guardiola has relished the challenge.
“Arriving at this stage, two games left with 92 points, after 100 points last season… being there, that is the most satisfaction I’ve had as a manager,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of the Leicester clash.
“It’s not easy, honestly. In my career as a manager, I played against incredible sides. There are two that were ‘wow’. One is Barcelona with Luis Enrique, with Neymar, (Lionel) Messi and (Luis) Suarez in front. The other is this Liverpool.
“I think they’re the best two sides I’ve faced as a manager. That’s why being here, with it in our hands, fighting against them until the end. One of the biggest achievements.”
Former Liverpool boss Rodgers will be in the opposite dugout for Monday’s clash and the Northern Irish coach can do his old club a favour by frustrating City.
Rodgers, of course, suffered at the hands of City during his time as Liverpool manager, missing out on the title in devastating fashion in 2013-14, and he believes that his Foxes side, fronted by Jamie Vardy, can hurt the reigning champions.
“It’s exciting to be involved in the title race but my thoughts are solely with Leicester and doing what we can to get a result,” said the former Celtic boss.
“We respect that it will be a tough game for us. But we have a model that can beat any team.”
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