Match Preview: Peterborough United

One of the most crushing aspects of life in League One is the lack of national media attention. By Christmas last season Leicester had been screened live by Sky Sports four times, this year City fans are lucky to hear the score on national radio. Thank goodness for Ian Stringer.

But before you grumble too much take heed of this refreshing news, anyone with a digital radio or an internet connection will be able to hear Leicester host the Posh live of Five Live Sports Extra. Hurrah!

The Foxes record on Sky Sports in 2007/08;
P7 W1 D5 L1 F3 A3 Pts8

Key Stats
The juiciest aspect of this fixture has been well covered. Leicester have the longest current winning streak in League One (four games), Peterborough are undefeated in 16 league matches. Posh haven’t lost since August, a month that saw them win once and slump to defeat of three occasions. To put it bluntly, neither side is used to defeat.

Like MK Dons, Darren Fergusson’s side have adapted to life in League One extremely well, none more so than top scorer Craig Mackail-Smith who’s already bagged 14 goals this term.

Peterborough like to put the pressure on early. They’ve led half of their matches going into half-time and have yet to let a first half advantage slip to defeat. Like Leicester they have gone in behind twice, but unlike the Foxes they have yet to come back and win.

This is only the fifth league meeting between the two sides. The last time Leicester hosted Peterborough was on the opening day of the 1993/94 season when Gavin Ward was among the debutants in a 2-1 Leicester win. To date this has been Leicester’s only league victory over United.

On This Day
The Match of the Day cameras turned up to film Leicester’s clash with Everton on this day in 1997. Unfortunately Martin O’Neil’s men put in an a-typical weary performance in a game settled by an 89th minute Gary Speed penalty. Graham Fenton was in the side that day, you may have spotted him this week at Blyth Spartans in his current role as assistant player-manager.

Selected Odds
Leicester – 10/11 (Bet365)
Draw – 5/2 (BlueSq)
Peterborough – 3/1 (Bet365)

Match Preview: Carlisle Utd

It’s been a frustrating season so far for Carlisle Utd. After missing out on promotion on the last day of the 2007/08 season many felt the ‘blue army’ had enough to again challenge for an automatic promotion spot. For the first few games of 08/09 this seemed to be the case, United took 13 points from the season’s opening five matches. But a calamitous run of one point from a possible 30 followed immediately afterwards, John Ward was shown the door, or at least found it by process of mutual consent, and Greg Abbott assumed the manager’s position. And so Leicester arrive at Brunton Park to face a team clearly out of sorts and out of form. Let’s hope they can take advantage.

Key Stats
Leicester are looking for their fourth win in a row, which Carlisle are seeking a third successive home win. Symmetry fans will note that Leicester have scored as many goals away from home as Carlisle have managed in front of their own supporters. Both sides average two goals a game in this respect. Carlisle have kept just two clean sheets all season, the joint second worst record in League One. This is all indicative of a high scoring, exciting game on Saturday.

More stats pointing in Leicester’s favour include Carlisle’s record against teams in the top half. United have taken just four points from a possible 27 against teams currently residing on the happy side of midtable. Meanwhile, Leicester have seven wins and just one defeat in ten matches against teams in League One’s bottom half.

Punters in the first goalscorer market should note Carlisle have conceded first in 13 league games this season, but have come back to win three of those matches. Only Oldham have better record coming from behind. This being said, Leicester have only lost once in the 14 matches in which they have taken the lead.

On This Day
Matt Elliot and Ian Walker both managed to get themselves sent off in a ill tempered home fixture with Birmingham City on this day in 2003. The Foxes lost 2-0 in front of 30,639 at the Walkers Stadium. The Blues scored within five minutes of each dismissal, with Ian Walkers comical handling of the ball nearly 35 yards out leaving City to play with nine men for half an hour. It was another disastrous lunchtime kick-off.

Selected Odds
Carlisle – 5/2 (Boylesports)
Draw – 12/5 (Bet365)
Leicester – 23/20 (BlueSq)

Match Review: Leicester City 3-0 Southend Utd

So it’s official, Matty Fryatt is Leicester City’s fastest scoring centre forward since Derek Dougan. Consecutive hat-tricks have taken the Fryarstarter to 22 goals in 23 league and cup starts. Like most Leicester fans who saw Fryatt play in the two seasons previous to the current campaign, I remain staggered at this return. Fryatt has been responsible for exactly half of Leicester’s League One goals this season. City’s new concern should perhaps be whether they rely on the Nuneaton man too much.

Here are some other numbers...

4 – Yesterday saw the lowest total corner count of the season in a match involving Leicester City. The Foxes’ managed only two corners, their fewest at home all season and their lowest count since the trip to Oldham.

4 – A fourth consecutive maximum at home has seen the Walkers Stadium become something of a fortress. Only Millwall have a better home record in League One this season. There’s no doubt a solid home record is crucial to promotion. When the Foxes were promoted in 02/03 their home record was P23 W16 D5 L2 F40 A12 Pts53.

0 – This was Leicester’s first clean sheet in five matches. City have shutout their opponents on eight occasions this season, they share top spot in this regard with Millwall, Stockport and (perhaps surprisingly) Leyton Orient.

Match Preview: Southend United

As we roll towards Christmas the issue of fixture congestion will make its annual deposit into the ether of lazy football journalists and managers looking for excuses. Before anyone else brings it up, note carefully that City will play just five games in December, three fewer than November. Better yet, three fixtures are at home. First up, the Shrimpers.

Key Stats
Nigel Pearson’s men are unbeaten in five, Southend are without a win in four.

Before the Millwall fixture this blog pointed out the rather ominous statistic that in the last six seasons Leicester have won just one game which kicked off before 15:00. As Millwall proceeded to inflict City’s only home defeat of the season so far, it’s probably worth revisiting this record.

Leicester’s record since 2003/03 before 3PM;
P18 W1 D4 L13 F9 A29

Most bookmakers will give you 5/1 on a Southend win - it worth serious consideration.

Southend have a goal difference of zero but this belies a rather shocking number of goals conceded away from home, 19 in total or more than two per game. On the other hand Steve Tilson’s side have scored more goals away from home (15) than the Foxes have managed at the Walkers Stadium (13).

Tomorrow will be another interesting battle of wills. Both Leicester and Southend have opened the scoring on 13 occasions this season, yet whilst Leicester have picked up 32 points after taking the lead, Southend have taken seven fewer.

On This Day
The 6th of December in recent times has been a day for late Leicester equalisers. Muzzy Izzet saved a point for the Foxes at home to Crystal Palace on this day in 1997 with a right-footed curler from just outside the box. Meanwhile in 2003 a 94th minute Craig Hignet goal meant Arsenal left the Walkers disappointed, the scoreline again was 1-1.

Selected Odds
Leicester – 4/6 (Bet365)
Draw – 11/4 (Coral)
Southend – 5/1 (Sky Bet)

Match Review: Leicester City 3-2 Dagenham & Redbridge

Leicester twice came from behind to book themselves a 3rd Round FA Cup home tie with Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace. Whether you prefer this arrangement to an away trip to Hartlepool is down to personal preference. I don’t suppose anyone who’d planned the long journey north is relishing the opportunity to make it on a Tuesday night instead.

Here are some numbers…

19 – Matty Fryatt has now scored more goals in a single season than any Leicester striker since Paul Dickov scored 20 in the 2002/03 campaign. It’s only November.

3 – Steve Howard was the last Leicester striker to hit a hat-trick in the 4-1 win at West Brom last season. Leicester hat-tricks have been few and far between in recent years. David Conolly hit three past Stoke in City's first home fixture of 2005/06. We then have to go back to 22nd February 2003 to find Paul Dickov’s triple against Wimbledon.

4 – The 2-2 half-time scoreline meant that this was the highest scoring first half City have been involved in for over four and a half years. The last time four goals were scored before the break came on 22nd February 2004 when City found themselves 3-1 down at Spurs. That match eventually finished 4-4.

Match Preview: Crewe Alexandra

The contrast literally could not be more vivid. After facing a team top of the league, full of confidence and with the highest goal scoring record in League One, City, now top themselves, face the divisions no hopers Crewe. Tuesday night presents an entirely different challenge for Leicester. Scunthorpe had no trouble coming out of their shell to face the Foxes, Dario Gradi will be happy if during his temporary reign he can construct a shell from which his players might emerge from time to time, stealing points in places they really ought not to. Places like the Walkers Stadium.

Every time City have hit top spot this season they have failed to capitalise on the momentum. Leicester fans will hope the Foxes take all three points from an eminently winnable home game against lacklustre opposition.

Key Stats
The form book is the first point of reference. Leicester are unbeaten in their last four matches and haven’t been defeated in their last seven at home. Crewe have lost three on the bounce and haven’t won a league match since the beat Colchester in mid September, some 11 games ago. The Railwaymen haven’t won away from home since April.

Past meetings have been few and far between. Crewe have never beaten the Foxes in a competitive fixture, but equally Leicester haven’t beaten Crewe since 1895. The last four league meetings between the two sides have been score draws.

You won’t get much better than 4/11 on a Leicester win, so here’s a quick betting tip: Go for the double result. For the uninitiated, the double result is betting on the result at half time and the result full time. So if you think the scores will be level at half time, but Crewe will pinch a cheeky goal in the second half you’d bet Draw-Crewe. There are technically nine possible outcomes here, but 15 of 17 Leicester matches have involved just 3.

Leicester-Leicester
Draw-Leicester
Draw-Draw

Each of these outcomes has occurred five times and the form guide suggests tomorrow night will not shake this pattern. So if you fancy a flutter, you’d do well to pick from this section of your betting slip.

On This Day
A Leicester line-up of Royce, Sinclair, Davidson, Rowett, Elliott, Taggart, Lennon, Savage, Izzet, Akinbiyi and Benjamin crashed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Les Ferdinand’s hat-trick ensured City suffered only their second away defeat of the 2000/01 season but remained in fourth pace ahead of Liverpool, Aston Villa and in 14th position, Chelsea.

Selected Odds
Leicester – 4/11 (totesport)
Draw – 4/1 (Coral)
Crewe – 9/1 (Bet365)

Match Review: Scunthorpe Utd 1-2 Leicester City

Where are all the Andy King haters now?

The Welsh U21 international surprised many by making Nigel Pearson’s first competitive team sheet, but he’s repaid the manager’s faith in spades. Ever-present in League One, King now has five goals to his name in all competitions. Yesterday’s inspired strike was the most valuable yet. Along with Lloyd Dyer and Matt Oakley, King has helped City’s midfield to 13 of the Foxes 29 league goals this term. Last season less than 10% of Leicester’s goals came from midfield.

Here are some more numbers…

36% - Yesterday City had their lowest share of possession all season. You have to go back nine matches to find a game in which City had less of the ball than their opponents. The figure is dramatically smaller than City’s previous low, 44% at Hartlepool in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The effects of Steve Howard’s absence are obvious.

12 – Despite their meagre share of the ball, City still managed to fire 12 attempts on goal. The Foxes have only failed to manage double figures in two league matches, the opening day of the season and last week’s trip to Swindon Town. Leicester’s shooting accuracy in all competitions currently stands at 53%.

18 – The number of points Leicester have taken away from home, one point more than their haul at the Walkers Stadium. City share this curious record with MK Dons who have taken four more points on their travels. The Dons are no strangers to this, last season they took 17 more points away than at stadium:mk.