Opposition View: Foxes Firepower Can Hurt Man City
- Chief Man City writer at the Manchester Evening News, Stuart Brennan, previews Saturday's clash
- The Premier League leaders visit King Power Stadium with an eight-point lead at the top
- Leicester City defeated Pep Guardiola's men 4-2 on Filbert Way last term
- You can listen to full match coverage on LCFC Radio from 2pm on Saturday afternoon
The memories of last term’s 4-2 victory for the Foxes remain strong for both sides, for contrasting reasons, and Brennan expects a similarly difficult clash for the guests.
However, Pep Guardiola’s Premier League leaders have been in scintillating form so far this season and they have already opened up a cavernous eight-point lead.
Brennan told LCFC Radio: “They’ve gone 15 games winning on the trot, a new English record. They know exactly what is expected of them and they look a completely different outfit.
Leicester City 4 Manchester City 2
Watch the best of the action from Manchester City's Premier League visit to King Power Stadium in 2016/17.
“The basic style of play that Pep has brought in is that it remains the same, whether new players come in or not, which is just as well because they have a few players out.
“There is an outside chance [Vincent] Kompany could be back but I don’t think they’ll risk him.
“The basic philosophy remains the same; the keep the ball, move it quickly and use it creatively in the final third. When you do lose the ball, shut down the opposition.
“A lot of Man City’s goals are beautiful to see but they also come from forcing errors. That is the basis of it; if the other team don’t have the ball, they can’t do any harm.”
While Man City struggled to combat Leicester’s style of play last season, Brennan believes their woes that day remain unlikely to return at King Power Stadium.
Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Guardiola has worked tirelessly to import his ideas on his side during his second season in the North West - with great results.
“The big difference since the last game at Leicester is that the players have really bought into Guardiola’s philosophy,” he added.
“It was very much at its infant stage the last time they came to King Power Stadium and, as we saw, Leicester pretty much destroyed it.
“The players weren’t used to it and Claudio Bravo struggled a little bit. We saw John Stones have a bit of a nightmare up against Jamie Vardy too.
“The whole back four was finding it really difficult to get used to it, well, the whole team was.
“Since then, they have bought new players, and a new goalkeeper. Stones has really blossomed and the whole team has really grasped it.”
Claude Puel’s Foxes, though, continue to show the ability to cause problems for sides such as Guardiola’s, Brennan believes.
He continued: “Leicester are perfectly set up to play against Manchester City, that hasn’t changed from last season. They play a more direct, traditionally English style of football.
“I’m not knocking that, they have Vardy and Riyad Mahrez so they are perfectly set up, perhaps more than any other Premier League team.
“If you’re looking to hit a front man early, the other team can press you as much as they like. I think, of all the teams City have played, Leicester are best suited to combat them.
“They can be a solid defensive unit and, once they get the ball, they don’t need a lot of possession to hurt you.”
Matchday Live will bring free live coverage of the encounter from 2pm on LCFC Radio.