Leicester City will be looking to make it three wins on the trot in the Premier League when they welcome local rivals Nottingham Forest to the King Power Stadium on Friday night. Foxes boss Steve Cooper faces his old club, who enter this match in eighth after their win last time out against Crystal Palace.
Match Preview:
Coming into this clash, Leicester City are brimming with confidence as they have been on a two-match win streak. After their 1-0 win over Bournemouth before the international break, they won an exciting 3-2 comeback against Southampton last weekend. Jordan Ayew’s winner in the 97th minute marked the latest goal Leicester has scored in Premier League history.
This was also a landmark victory as it was the first time in 67 matches that Leicester came from two goals down to win in the top flight. Cooper’s side – made of stern stuff – has picked up five points from losing positions this season. Along with Arsenal and Manchester City, Leicester is one of just three teams to have scored in every Premier League game so far. However, Leicester have struggled to rise from poor starts to games this season and have gone behind in six of the eight they have played so far.
Nottingham Forest rank among the best defensive records across the Premier League, with only Liverpool conceding fewer goals this season. Despite allowing Crystal Palace to fire on goal 20 times earlier this week, Forest managed to keep a clean sheet as a Chris Wood strike sealed their first home win of the season. Wood has been in fine form, scoring in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea before the international break, and notching his fifth goal of the season against Palace.
There has been nothing to show that Forest have missed their manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, who sits out a touchline ban. Without him, Forest have been particularly good away from home, where they are unbeaten in six, their longest run since 1995. They have averaged 1.36 points per away game under Nuno-which compares to a pretty modest return on the road before he arrived.
Having beaten Leicester 2-0 in their last meeting in January 2023, Forest will be seeking to spoil their former boss Cooper’s party and extend their recent impressive road record.
Team News
Leicester manager Steve Cooper does have a few selection decisions to make ahead of this local derby. Harry Winks should push for a place in midfield alongside Wilfred Ndidi, most likely at the expense of Oliver Skipp. Winger Abdul Fatawu could also be given a rare start after his big impact off the bench last week, where he provided an assist and completed several key dribbles.
Now, veteran striker Jamie Vardy will probably lead the line once again. He has been clinical this season, scoring three goals from just nine shots. Patson Daka and Hamza Choudhury remain out with their injuries.
Key players for Nottingham Forest include the available James Ward-Prowse and Morgan Gibbs-White, who have both served their suspensions. However, Gibbs-White is nursing an injury and might have to pass a late fitness test to be involved. Chris Wood will continue upfront all alone, supported by wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Leicester City: Hermansen; Justin, Okoli, Faes, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks; Fatawu, Buonanotte, Ayew; Vardy
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Moreno; Yates, Ward-Prowse; Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Elanga; Wood
