Leicester City vs Man Utd | Premier League | Pre Match
Leicester City vs Man Utd
Leicester City find themselves in a perilous position as the 2024-25 Premier League season edges toward its climax, with time rapidly dwindling to secure their top-flight status as they prepare to host Manchester United at the King Power Stadium this Sunday. The Foxes are mired in 19th place, a distressing six points adrift of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th, the final position above the relegation zone, and that gap could widen further before their match even kicks off if Wolves manage to secure any result against Southampton on Saturday under the guidance of their manager, Vitor Pereira. Leicester’s recent form has been nothing short of catastrophic, with the team enduring a run of five consecutive Premier League defeats without so much as a single goal to show for their efforts, a streak that paints a grim picture of a side bereft of confidence and cutting edge. At home, their plight is even more pronounced, having suffered six straight losses at the King Power Stadium with an aggregate scoreline of 15-0—a statistic that underscores the depth of their struggles and the mounting pressure on new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy to orchestrate an immediate turnaround. During this barren run, Leicester have managed to muster 63 shots, 22 of which were on target, yet their inability to convert even one into a goal has left them teetering on the brink of an unwanted historical record: no team in the English top flight has ever lost seven consecutive matches without scoring, a dubious milestone they could reach against United. Compounding their woes, the Foxes have conceded 998 goals across their 678 Premier League games to date, and should they ship at least two more against Manchester United, they will become only the 12th side in the competition’s history to concede 1,000 goals—a landmark they would rather avoid as they fight for survival in a season that has spiraled out of control.
Manchester United, Leicester’s opponents, arrive at the King Power Stadium with their own set of challenges but buoyed by a morale-boosting midweek triumph that has offered a glimmer of hope amid a turbulent campaign. Sitting 14th in the Premier League table, United’s domestic season has been underwhelming under Ruben Amorim, with inconsistency plaguing their efforts to climb into the upper reaches of the standings. However, their convincing 4-1 victory over a 10-man Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, sealed by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick at Old Trafford, secured a 5-2 aggregate progression to the quarter-finals and provided a much-needed lift for a squad desperate to salvage something tangible from the term. That European success contrasted sharply with their Premier League outing last weekend, where they squandered the chance to notch back-to-back league wins for the first time this season, settling instead for a 1-1 draw against Arsenal—a result that extended their unbeaten run in the competition to three matches but highlighted their persistent struggles to string together victories. A notable positive from the Arsenal game was Fernandes’ first-half free-kick goal just before the interval, a rare instance of United taking the lead at the break under Amorim’s stewardship. That strike ended a league-high run of 15 matches without holding a half-time advantage, a streak that had persisted since early December, despite their paltry 0.11 expected goals (xG) in the opening 45 minutes against the Gunners. As they prepare to face Leicester, United’s attacking output remains a concern, with the team averaging just 13 shots per game this season—their second-lowest tally in a single campaign, surpassed only by the 11.3 recorded in 2015-16—suggesting that Sunday’s encounter may not be a high-scoring affair, particularly given Leicester’s own offensive woes, with the Foxes registering the fewest shots (251) and shots on target (85) of any side in the Premier League this term.
For Ruud van Nistelrooy, this fixture marks his fourth time in the dugout against Manchester United this season, a peculiar twist of fate given his prior interim stint with the Red Devils and his current role at Leicester, adding a layer of personal intrigue to an already critical matchup. Having overseen United’s victories over Leicester in the EFL Cup in October and the Premier League in November, as well as managing Leicester in their recent FA Cup defeat to United, the Dutchman is intimately familiar with the challenge posed by his former club. Now tasked with reversing Leicester’s fortunes, van Nistelrooy faces a United side that has already beaten his team three times across all competitions this season—a feat United have accomplished against three opponents four times in a single campaign in their history, while Leicester have only once lost to the same team four times in a season, against West Brom. Those earlier defeats tell a tale of United’s dominance: a 5-2 thrashing in the EFL Cup, a 3-0 rout in the league, and a 2-1 FA Cup loss marred by controversy, as former Leicester defender Harry Maguire headed in a stoppage-time winner despite being offside, a decision upheld due to the absence of VAR in that competition. Historically, United have been a bogey team for Leicester in recent Premier League meetings, with the Foxes losing their last three encounters without scoring after enjoying an unbeaten run of four games against the Red Devils across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons (W2 D2). On the road, United have lost just once in their last eight league visits to Leicester (W4 D3), that sole defeat coming in a 4-2 thriller in October 2021, offering further encouragement as they seek to pile more misery on a Leicester side clinging to faint hopes of survival.
The stakes could scarcely be higher for Leicester as they face a Manchester United team that, while flawed, possesses the quality to exploit their vulnerabilities, particularly given the Foxes’ alarming defensive frailty and inability to find the net. Van Nistelrooy, still settling into his role, must rally a squad that appears shell-shocked by their recent run, with the King Power faithful growing increasingly restless as relegation looms larger with each passing week. A victory—or even a goal—could provide a lifeline, a spark to reignite belief in a campaign that has veered dangerously off course, though the odds appear stacked against them given United’s historical edge and current momentum. For United, this game offers a chance to build on their European exploits and maintain their unbeaten league streak, though their own attacking limitations suggest a cagey affair may be in store. Amorim will look to Fernandes, whose midweek heroics underscored his importance, to unlock a Leicester defense that has crumbled all too often this season, while van Nistelrooy will hope his intimate knowledge of United’s tendencies can inspire a tactical masterstroke. As the King Power Stadium braces for this pivotal clash, Leicester’s fight for Premier League survival hangs in the balance, with Manchester United poised to either deepen their despair or offer an unexpected reprieve in a season teetering on the edge of disaster.
