Both Leicester City and West Ham are considered mid-table teams but it seems that in the 2018/2019 season of the Premier League, anything can happen. Although at this point, relegation seems unlikely, both tease teams will need to work hard in order to remain in the safe zone. Bad news for their fans is that both the Foxes and the Hammers haven’t been doing very well lately. But that can change on Saturday for at least one of these sides. Keep on reading this Leicester City vs West Ham match preview to learn which side is that!
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Leicester City
The team that won the Premier League just a few seasons ago is nowhere near the top. In fact, they seems to have nothing to hope for apart from finishing the season in the middle of the table. Even getting to a Europa League spot looks like a mission impossible for the Foxes.
But, it’s not because they’re a bad team. They’re not. It’s just that there are too many teams in the Premier League that are stronger than them. But, is West Ham one of those teams? I think not, although the difference in player quality isn’t large.
What can be a large advantage for Leicester is that the duel with West Ham is played at their turf, the King Power Stadium in Leicester. This is the place where they lost only one game in the season 2015/2016, when they won the Premier League trophy. And in the next season, 10 out of their 12 total wins happened at this stadium.
This season, they won two and lost two at home turf. But, they have a chance to fix this, as they’re yet to play against the teams from the bottom before the end of the year.
West Ham
After a dreadful start of the season, West Ham seem to be back on the right track. They did lose two previous Premier League games, but they’re still above the relegation zone. Their biggest success this season was the win over Manchester United, which showed that this team can play well against big-name teams. And in the match against Leicester, they’re considered the underdogs.
But, the Hammers have a pretty decent squad and an experienced manager, so it’s really a shame to see them struggling. Still, I do think they won’t have to worry about relegation when the season gets to its final stages. A place somewhere in the middle of the table seems like their destiny.
The biggest problem they’re facing ahead of the duel with Leicester is that their injury list is still pretty long. Five players are out, which you may think is not a lot, but this means that those who aren’t injured have to play more minutes. And the result is that some of them might feel too tired.
Team News
Leicester absentees:
- Matty James (injury)
- Demarai Gray (injury)
- Wes Morgan (suspension)
West Ham absentees:
- Jack Wilshere (injury)
- Andy Carroll (injury)
- Carlos Sanchez (injury)
- Manuel Lanzini (injury)
- Winston Reid (injury)
Possible Lineups
Leicester City
Schmeihel – Maguire, Evans, Amartey, Chilwell – Ndidi, Mendy, Maddison, Ghezzal, Albrighton – Vardy
West Ham
Fabianski – Balbuena, Diop, Zabaleta, Masuaku – Pedro Obiang, Noble, Anderson – Yarmolenko, Antonio, Arnautovic
Leicester City vs West Ham Match Prediction
In my opinion, Leicester are only slightly better than West Ham. But, that might not be enough of a difference to bring them victory on Saturday. I think the two will get a point each.
Leicester vs West Ham Betting Tips
- Draw @3.30 (bet365)
- BTS @1.80 (bet365)
- Correct Score 1:1 @7.00 (bwin)