New Year’s Eve Preview – Leicester City vs West Ham United

December 31, 2016 16:00pm

King Power Stadium

Premier League

Recent Form (League)

Leicester City: LDLWL

West Ham United: WWWDL

Reigning Premier League champions Leicester City were defeated at home for just the second time this season when they fell 2-0 to Everton last time out. They will now look to make amends when they host a resurgent West Ham United side at the King Power Stadium on New Year’s Eve.

A poor run of form featuring just one win in nine matches has left the Foxes stranded in 16th place in the table, just three points above the drop zone. With the reality of a relegation battle now looming, the next few weeks could be crucial for Claudio Ranieri’s men. A good run of results could put them in a position to focus on their Champions League campaign while further defeats might cause them to shift the focus of their priorities.

Prior to the defeat against Everton, the East Midlands side had only lost one of their previous 23 home matches but are now head into this clash having lost two of the last four. Last season’s title-winning exploits must now seem a million miles away for the Italian boss and his men.

Leicester will be without the suspended Jamie Vardy but otherwise have no significant injury concerns.

In stark contrast to the hosts, West Ham are coming into this game with three-straight wins under their belts. The Hammers had a terrible start to the season but have rallied to haul themselves up to 11th place in the table. A win on Saturday could see them break back into the top 10.

While the Irons’ revival looks good on paper, their trio of wins came against the bottom two (Hull City and Swansea City) and the team with the worst away form in the league (Burnley). They also had to ride their luck at times, particularly in the game against Hull when their opponents hit the post three times and were on the receiving end of a poor penalty decision. However, the table does not lie and it is West Ham rather than Leicester who have found a way to win in recent weeks.

The visitors will be without Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho, Reece Oxford and Gokhan Tore, who are all injured. Meanwhile, Simone Zaza, James Collins and Sam Byram are all on the doubtful list.

Prediction

The Hammers have scored at least once in all but one of their last 15 away games and conceded in all but two. As a result the Both Teams to Score bet looks the best option in this game.

You can back Both Teams to Score at 8/11 with our recommended bookmaker Betfair.