Norwich City: 4 Reasons Canaries Will Defeat Leicester City

It is a strange feeling being a Norwich City supporter and going into an important FA Cup match at this stage in the season. However, that will be the state of play on Saturday.

Injuries are said to play their part, but Paul Lambert has received a boost with the news loan player Kyle Naughton will be eligible. The Norwich city manager will also have James Vaughan back involved in the squad for the first time since his injury. Lambert must also decide if he wants to give Jed Steer another chance in goal.

Do Not Be Fooled by Lambert's Mind Games

In the buildup to the game, Lambert seems to be suggesting he will play a weakened side. The Canaries' boss used a similar tactic ahead of the Burnley game in the third round of the competition. However, he played a strong team in that game and will do the same on Saturday.

In any case, any fringe player that is selected should me more than capable of performing to the highest quality.

The way the team has performed in the FA Cup so far also tells us that this game will be taken very seriously. This will be from the management and the players, while the fans will be confident of progressing.

Past Record Heavily Favors Norwich

I should probably get the bad news out of the way first. Leicester dominate the FA Cup record between the two sides—of the five meetings, Leicester have won four.

However, the overall head-to-head record reads: Norwich wins 20, Leicester wins 19 and draws 12.

The even better news is the recent record. Norwich have won the last two meetings between the sides. In fact, the Canaries have lost only one of the last 10 meetings against Leicester.

Norwich Having the Better Season

Norwich City are currently in the top eight of the Premier League. Even the most positive of Canary fans would not have expected to see the team performing so well at this stage in the season.

The situation is completely different for Leicester City. The Foxes would have expected to be in the top six of the Championship at the very least. Instead, they are down in 12th position, and a massive nine points away from a playoff place.

League form is not also indicative of how the two teams will perform in the Cup. However, it does offer some measure on which team will be the most confident.

James Vaughan Looking to Get His Season Started

James Vaughan has had a frustrating time this season. Saturday's match gives the striker an opportunity to get his season started. The former Everton player will want to put in a good performance and score his first goal of the season.

Follow James Kent on Twitter @jimlk2007 and via his Facebook fan page.