Match Preview: Leicester City vs Bournemouth

Leicester City 8th (9-9-10) vs Bournemouth 11th (8-8-12)

Saturday 10:00 AM ET, Live on NBC Sports Gold at the King Power Stadium

Last September the Foxes and the Cherries played to a 0-0 stalemate in which the hosts managed 19 shots and a commanding 61% possession. Leicester won’t be looking for a repeat of that performance as they try to reverse their recent rut in the quicksand known as poor form.

The Opposition

Bournemouth have had a interesting return of their efforts lately. Their back to back victories over Chelsea and Stoke came sandwiched between a draw with West Ham and a punishing 4-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town. Their last time out they came from two nil down to finish evens at 2-2 with Newcastle. Before their explosive 3-0 away victory against Chelsea, you’d have to go all the way back to November to find the Cherries last away victory, a 1-0 against Newcastle.

Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images

Callum Wilson is Bournemouth’s danger man this year. His team leading seven goals have been crucial in helping his side climb back up the table. Although his last goal was in match week 25, he will certainly be someone the Foxes should keep close tabs on.

The Foxes

Come Saturday it will have been 42 days since Leicester have tasted victory in the Premier League. In that amount of time you could have broken a habit, started it back up immediately, and still manage to break it in time for kickoff on Saturday. Hopefully the Foxes will finally break their habit of not playing a full 90 minutes. A very bright start once more turned dismal when Xherdan Shaqiri punished Leicester once more, this time from outside the box unmarked. That goal led many to question why Wes Morgan and Matty James were in the starting eleven. A massive error in Marc Albrighton’s equalizer was probably the only way the Foxes were going to score that day.

Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images

I feel bad for Adrien Silva. Get’s the runaround from FIFA over 14 seconds, which FIFA then allowed a similar transfer to go through for a different club, and then he can only get a start in a cup match. He looks motivated and ready to play. This is a European champion riding the bench at Leicester City over a club favorite in Matty James. Give Wilfred Ndidi the partner in crime he needs, Claude!

The Prediction

Given Eddie Howe has only won once against Leicester in his entire management career and Leicester have never beaten the Cherries in the Premier League, it would seem we’re destined for another draw. I’m going to go the opposite direction and say Leicester gets out of this crummy run of form and obliterate’s Bournemouth 4-0. That’s right. We’re gonna score lots of goals AND keep Kasper Schmeichel happy.