Leicester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
East meets West at the KingPower Stadium on Sunday for the Premier League clash between Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And with apologies to Aston Villa, who have made an impressive start to the 2020/21 campaign, this game will decide which club can claim to be the Kings of the Midlands!
For this week anyway…
Football has resurged in the central belt of England in recent years, Leicester flying the flag for the East with their stunning title triumph in 2016, and since their return to the top flight in 2018, Wolves have lit up the West Midlands with some scintillating football to the rhythm of a Portuguese Vira dance!
A victory for Nuno Espirito Santo’s visitors would see them leapfrog the Foxes, who currently sit in second place, trailing Liverpool by a single point.
Talking Points
Leicester going again
The Premier League 2020 betting odds see both Leicester City and Wolves as outside candidates for a top four place but more likely to be fighting it out for a spot in the 2021/22 Europa League. But both Brendan Rodgers and Nuno Espirito Santo have ambitions beyond Europe’s second competition.
Defeat to Manchester United in the final game of the 2019/20 season was a crushing blow to Rodgers and his team, as it meant they dropped out of the top four for the first time since the opening weeks of the campaign. So they are on the Thursday/Sunday routine of Europa League football, but the Foxes are undeterred and are determined the right the wrongs of last season.
They were in scintillating form last week when they thumped Leeds United 1-4 with Youri Tielemans scoring a brace to add to goals from Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy, who shows no signs of slowing down as he approaches his 34th birthday. Vardy has seven goals already in this campaign, including the winner in Leicester’s impressive victory away to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Wolves centre back pairing of Willy Boly and Conor Coady will have their work cut out.
Life after Jota isn’t so bad for Wolves
The biggest Premier League 2020 news emerging from Molineux over the summer was relating to an outgoing player, when Diogo Jota moved to join champions Liverpool for an initial fee of £41m. The Portuguese forward has settled well at Anfield, already scoring three league goals and breaking into the starting 11. But Wolves seem to be doing just fine since his departure. Three league wins from the last four, with clean sheets in the victories over Leeds United, Fulham and Crystal Palace were only interrupted by a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United when they conceded an 89th minute equaliser.
Mexican striker Raul Jimenez has four goals to his name already, while Pedro Neto and
Daniel Podence are providing the supply. Neto has just signed a new five year deal to stay at the club and, with 52 appearances already at the age of 20, he’s sure to have a big impact on Wolves’ fortunes as they make another assault on the top six.
And so will the defensive pairing of Coady and Boly. The two have a wonderful understanding and will put their bodies on the line to protect goalkeeper Rui Patricio. But when called upon the Portugal stopper is one of the best in the business.
History
In the battle for Midlands supremacy both sides have had their periods of success, though neither has run away from their rivals. Of the 25 meetings between the two clubs since 1993, Leicester have won eight to Wolves’ six and there have been 11 draws.
Both clashes ended in goalless stalemate last season, an amazing statistic when you look at the attacking talent on show.
Recent form is good in both cases. The Foxes have won the last four while Wolves are unbeaten in four, drawing one and, when playing at home, Leicester have not lost to Wolverhampton in their last four encounters.
Betting Tip
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Leicester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers | Over 2.50 @ 2.26 |
| November 08, 22:00 (GMT+8) |
This game could go either way with all three results well in play. Leicester are the marginal favourites at odds of 2.22, here at SBOTOP, while the draw is at 2.97 and Wolves are at 3.20 to win.
As you’d expect from top six sides, both have well organised defences and we can’t rule out another goalless or low scoring game. But I think the value is in Over 2.50 goals at odds of 2.26. I think the Foxes have enough creativity and firepower to breach the Wolves’ defence and if they do so early in the game that will force Nuno to bring his attacking players into the match.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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