Leicester City vs. Tottenham: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Leicester City are sitting in prestigious company at the upper end of the Premier League right now. Two wins from two games has them on six points and in the top four in between the division's only other 100 per cent victorious teams Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United.
On Saturday, the Foxes host Tottenham Hotspur with the aim of proving their good start can become a genuine anomaly, not just a brief moment in the spotlight that soon dims as the top flight's more established contenders get their acts together.
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Relishing the test of facing Tottenham (see above), Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri is already talking about grand ambitions to turn the club into a desirable location for some of football's best talent. The 63-year-old cited the impact Diego Maradona had in turning Napoli into a force in Italy and Europe in the late 1980s, prior to his own arrival as boss there. Per BBC Sport, he said:
"I remember when nobody wanted to go to Napoli. But after Maradona, everyone wanted to go to Napoli.
If we start to build, maybe in three or four years a lot of players will want to come to Leicester. Why not?
"
Hoping to put a dent in Ranieri's vision by recording their own first win of 2015-16, Spurs did not need to watch Leicester's opening two victories to know they have a tough game ahead.
The north London club were made to battle right to the final whistle securing 2-1 and 4-3 defeats of Saturday's opponents last season. The Boxing Day win at the King Power Stadium was especially close.
While a new managerial regime is calling the shots, Leicester have thus far shown the same fighting qualities that almost upset Spurs. A similar contest could be on the cards.
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET
Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester
TV Info: No live UK coverage, extended highlights on Sky Sports 5 from 10 p.m./NBC Sports Network (U.S. only)
Live Stream: None/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Form Lines
| Leicester City | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Premier League, August 15: West Ham United (a)—Win: 1-2 | Premier League, August 15: Stoke City (h)—Draw: 2-2 |
| Premier League, August 15: Sunderland (h)—Win: 4-2 | Premier League, August 8: Manchester United (a)—Loss: 1-0 |
| Pre-season, August 1: Birmingham City (a)—Win: 2-3 | Pre-season (Audi Cup), August 5: AC Milan (a)—Win: 0-2 |
| Pre-season, July 29: Rotherham United (a)—Win: 1-2 | Pre-season (Audi Cup), August 4: Real Madrid (a)—Loss: 2-0 |
| Pre-season, July 28: Burton Albion (a)—Win: 1-2 | Pre-season, July 30: MLS All-Stars (a)—Loss: 2-1 |
Team News
Andros Townsend is the only reported absentee for Tottenham with an ankle problem again sidelining the winger following his recent shoulder injury. New signing Clinton Njie is available for selection.
Leicester's latest recruit Gokhan Inler is also available. Ranieri confirmed defender Christian Fuchs suffered "a knock, but nothing serious" in training on Thursday, per his club's official website.
Predicted Lineups
Ranieri may be tempted to hand Inler his debut straight away. Yet after two wins in a row with the same starting XI, there is a good chance the Italian will decide if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Content to cede possession in the belief their stable, well-marshalled defence—led by captain Wes Morgan—were capable of absorbing West Ham United's attacks, Leicester controlled the Hammers in the first half of their 2-1 win at Upton Park last week.
From this solid base, they chose their moments to push on well. The wide threats of Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton helped stretch the home side as they effectively veered between advancing in transition and through more patient build-up. Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy worked hard to ensure these efforts were not wasted, the former finishing off one such move and both contributing to Mahrez making it 2-0.
West Ham emerged from the half-time break with renewed impetus, soon reducing the deficit through Dimitri Payet. Leicester did not let it shake them, avoided getting pushed back too severely and were good for an impressive win over a team who just a week earlier had beaten much-fancied Arsenal.
Ranieri's acknowledgement that Leicester could face a more daunting examination from Tottenham is a sensible statement in cooling expectations slightly. Quietly, though, he will be confident the players who have served him well so far can enjoy a third consecutive enjoyable Saturday afternoon.
Spurs could learn a thing or two from how Leicester saw out last weekend's victory. A 2-0 lead blown at home to Stoke City last weekend tarnished what had been a previously encouraging display from Mauricio Pochettino's young team.
The Argentinian may opt for some changes of his own.
There are plenty of alternatives in defence and midfield if Pochettino believes a change of personnel can help avoid the kind of capitulation his team suffered last week. Should he opt to vary things in attack, Njie is an option or perhaps, fresh from signing a new contract, young playmaker Alex Pritchard will get his first Spurs start.
Yet, bar perhaps a restoration to the starting XI for the fully fit-again Danny Rose at left-back (a concession to a selection likely to have been made at the start of the season had he not been injured), it would not be a surprise if Pochettino stuck with his team of last week either.
It would be an understanding that his selection enjoyed a good first hour against Stoke—notably in some often imaginative attacking play, with Nacer Chadli in particular given more freedom to explore—and are worth another shot at proving their worth. And it would be their last collective opportunity at this point before the head coach mixes things up with chances for an array of eager new signings and promising youngsters desperate for their turn.
Leicester City Player to Watch: Jamie Vardy
A good start to the season on the pitch for Vardy has been tarnished by the revelation of poor off-the-field behaviour.
Leicester had already punished the forward after he was recorded using a racial slur out at a casino. This week the Guardian's Daniel Taylor, among others, reported the Football Association's intent to warn him for failing to adhere to the organisation's code of conduct for England players.
Vardy's performance against West Ham, which including setting up Okazaki's goal, was not one of a man carrying any burden (Ranieri has also said there was no issue between the new strike partners either, per the Leicester Mercury's Rob Tanner).
However, with manager Roy Hodgson set to announce his latest England squad next week, it will be intriguing to see if the warning from the FA has any effect on a player who received his first international call-up earlier this year.
It should not. He is seeking to make amends and the FA is seemingly not looking to discipline him further. Still, it would be understandable if Vardy now felt some concern his actions may have hurt his hopes of furthering his England career.
Even without all this going on, from a strictly football perspective, Vardy would be one to watch this weekend. He got off the mark in the season opener versus Sunderland, while his partnership with Okazaki (another in fine individual form) looks like it may have legs.
The 28-year-old scored against Tottenham last season, too, and will make for a challenging adversary for the centre-back duo he is set to face this time around.
Tottenham Hotspur Player(s) to Watch: Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen
Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and the Spurs defence were barely allowed a moment's rest by Stoke striker Mame Biram Diouf in the opening 70 minutes of last weekend's game.
Although he would get in his shots at Hugo Lloris prior to his 83rd-minute equaliser, it never felt like Diouf was allowed them. He had to work hard and use his smarts to get that half a yard.
It was what made Alderweireld and Vertonghen's failure to even pick the striker up for his goal all the more frustrating. Spurs may have helped the Potters get back in the game with failings further up the pitch, but to allow a player of Diouf's quality to get between them for a free header is inexcusable.
A positive display at Manchester United and a decent hour against Stoke gave hope the club's new Belgian central defensive partnership would be the one to herald a happy blend of cultured support work in possession and tight, perceptive defending. A duo whose understanding would help avoid the disorganisation that too often plagued Spurs last season.
It still may. Alderweireld is getting to know his new team-mates, while Vertonghen must readjust to a partner he has only rarely played with centrally since their Ajax days. Getting back in sync could take a little time.
Nonetheless, defenders of their individual quality really should be offering more than the toothless resistance that allowed Diouf to score. Okazaki and Vardy will hope to make them look even worse.
Key Battle: Can Spurs Resist Leicester's Early-Season Confidence?
An initially doubted team high on confidence versus an aspirational top-five finisher yet to really get going.
Leicester's attempts to sustain their current situation would normally be tested by a side as capable as Tottenham. Indeed, they may well be given a reality check if the capital club can put together the kind of consistent performance they have yet been unable to.
Yet coming up against a team deservedly enjoying their fine start could soon see doubts creep in for Spurs if they start slowly. From there, something will have to give.
This contest should present a fascinating insight into how much there is to learn from both clubs' differing starts—whether they are just products of a season easing into life, or if there is really something there about what lies ahead.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Leicester win: 8/5
Tottenham win: 17/10
Draw: 12/5
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