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Nov. 8, 14:00 GMT, 9:00 AM ET, 6:00 AM PT
Leicester City will host Wolverhampton Wanderers (aka Wolves) at the King Power Stadium in a matchup between two of the Premier League’s top gate crashers.
Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers’ men continue to defy expectations. Five wins in a row has placed the Foxes in position to top both the Premier League table and their Europa League group should results go their way this weekend. Doing this in spite of consistently mounting injuries is an impressive feat for the club.
Leicester is coming off of a resounding 4-0 victory over presumptive Europa League Group G challengers S.C. Braga. A brace from the consistently impressive Kelechi Iheanacho, and a goal apiece for Dennis Praet and James Maddison continued the team’s impressive run of form as it chugs along no matter what players are on the field. In its last five matches, City has scored 14 goals while conceding just two and claiming victory in each. Should the Foxes defeat Wolves and Liverpool fail to claim victory over Manchester City, Leicester would enter the international break top of the Premier League table and Europa League Group G.
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A back five of Marc Albrighton, James Justin, Wesley Fofana, Christian Fuchs, and Luke Thomas has more than played its part in the absence of a number of key City players. Against Wolves, the team is likely to have Jonny Evans back, meaning a shake up is on the cards.
Wolves
Wolves has had a typically strong start to the season. The team currently sits eighth in the Premier League, within three points of first. Through seven matches, the team has earned four wins, one draw, and two losses. In its last five matches, Wolves has earned victories over Crystal Palace, Leeds United, and Fulham, while drawing with Newcastle and losing to West Ham.
Mexican trigger man Raúl Jiménez has once again led Wolves in the early stages of the season, scoring four Premier League goals thus far. Portuguese duo Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto, meanwhile, have played the role of creator for the team this season, registering two Premier League assists each, and the threat of Adama Traoré’s explosiveness still looms large (pun intended).
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Manager Nuno Espirito Santo continues to get the best out of his group, making them a challenge on any given day. The manager also had nice things to say about Leicester City, endearing him to the hearts of Foxes fans. Despite their current standing, though, Wolves has proven beatable. The team is stubborn in defense, conceding just eight goals so far this season, the second-least in the league, but also scored just eight, the fifth-least.
Prediction
The Foxes will need to find the creativity to unlock a sturdy defense, but with 17 goals in the Premier League so far there’s reason to believe the team is capable. Wolves will make it difficult for the Foxes, but eventually Jamie Vardy and company will pick the locks and find the back of the net, earning a 2-1 victory and claiming the top spot in the table.