Leicester City vs Man City: EPL preview, team news, how to follow, stream | Football news
WHO: Leicester City vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: King Power Stadium, Leicester, United Kingdom
When: 12:30pm (12:30 GMT) on Sunday
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Pep Guardiola insists he will not part ways with struggling Manchester City as he battles to halt the champions' dramatic relegation.
The Spaniard, whose side visit Leicester City on Sunday, has just signed a two-year contract but City's poor form has raised questions over his future. Nine defeats in 13 games, with just one win in that miserable spell, has led to suggestions that the City manager may decide to quit if he cannot find an answer to his club's problems.
However, having led City to six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons, Guardiola is adamant that he is hungry to change the situation.
“I will try, I will continue. “Sometimes you think that a bad run will end early or it will be easy to fix, but it takes a long time,” he told reporters before Sunday's game. “I will not give up. I want to be here. I want to do it and, in the situation we have, we have to do it.
“Yes, I want it, everyone wants it. I don't want to disappoint my people in terms of the team, the fans, the people who love this club. I think we all want to do our job well and make people happy. That is undeniable, not a question mark.
“It's a big test to come back, but we've done that before.”
Guardiola will not be critical of City's problems
Injuries are what caused City's decline, which left them sitting in seventh place in the Premier League.
In particular, the hole left by Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, as he recovers from a long knee injury. And things weren't helped by the erratic form in an inconsistent season by the often prolific Erling Haaland, who missed a penalty that could have won City against Everton in their last game.
Haaland has scored just once in his last seven games, but Guardiola refused to blame the Norwegian striker or any of his team-mates.
“I don't have it in my education to start complaining, pointing at people. It's happened, it's life, it's football, let's try again,” he said.
“That's why we've been successful, because it's not always enough, we'll try it again and again. That's why we won so many titles.
“Every three days it was a game and win, win, win for months and years. Now, we have to do the same if the results are not good.”
Lots of moves ⬆️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yumQgXPdfA
– Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2024
City still have doubts about the fitness of many players as they look to get back to winning ways against struggling Leicester, who have won just one of their last 11 games.
“Sometimes you have injuries,” said Guardiola. “For several years we have been incredibly dynamic but now, yes, we are a little bit down and the main reason is the injuries of many important players.
“But I saw the spirit of the team, the way we trained this week, how focused they are, how they try to train.”
Leicester City club news
Jordan Ayew, suspended after the striker was booked for the fifth time this season in the defeat to Liverpool in Leicester's last outing.
Captain Jamie Vardy should be ready to return from a narrow strike, but Wout Faes misses again in defence.
Man City team news
The sidelined Rodri was joined by Ruben Dias, John Stones, Ederson, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Matheus Nunes in the 1-1 draw with Everton.
Head to head
This is the 128th meeting between the clubs, with City winning 64 times, while Leicester were left with the spoils after 32 games.
City have won their last five league meetings, scoring 10 goals in the last three, while Leicester can wrap up the Community Shield following their title-winning 2020-21 season.
Leicester's last league win came this campaign with a 5-2 victory at City, and included a hat-trick from Vardy. The match at the King Power Stadium resulted in a 2-0 scoreline which gave City three points and started their streak of defeating the Wolves in the league.
Where does your side currently live?#Festive Fixes pic.twitter.com/AT9MZPPnz2
– Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2024
