Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Leicester City welcome West Ham United to the East Midlands on Saturday evening, with both teams looking to avoid a third consecutive Premier League defeat. Both sides find themselves down in the lower half of the table, with Leicester in 11th place currently, and the Hammers in 14th. Both teams were beaten by north London clubs last weekend. The Foxes lost 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium to Arsenal, while the Hammers were beaten 1-0 at home by Tottenham Hotspur. That was West Ham’s second successive 1-0 defeat, as they lost by that scoreline at Brighton the weekend before. Leicester have 12 points, so a victory for them could see them leap several places in the table. West Ham have just seven league points, a paltry total after nine games.
Leicester vs West Ham Prediction: Leicester 1-0 West Ham
Our prediction is that Leicester will win this game 1-0, and stave off a third consecutive defeat. West Ham do not seem to be a particularly confident side so far this season, and their last two narrow defeats may have knocked them mentally. Their last win was against Manchester United, though, so there is clearly some quality in the team, if manager Manuel Pellegrini can find a way to unlock his players’ potential. History is on City’s side too, as they have lost just one of their last seven Premier League matches against the Hammers, with four wins and two draws during that run.
Our recommended tip: Leicester 1-0
Our featured betting tip for this match comes courtesy of Paddy Power, with the Irish bookie offering odds of 6/1 on our prediction of a 1-0 Leicester victory being accurate. We strongly suspect that home advantage will help City edge a close game by a single goal. The two teams have been in similar form recently, so the game is likely to be hard-fought and close, with few clear-cut chances created. A single goal should be enough to claim victory, which means that the odds of 6/1 on a 1-0 win for the Foxes look very tempting.
Previous matches
Leicester have lost just once in their last seven Premier League meetings with West Ham. That loss, perhaps significantly, was in the last encounter, which came in the league last season. West Ham won that game, which was played in May earlier this year, 2-0, with the goals coming from Joao Mario and Mark Noble. Earlier in the season, in November 2017, the Foxes travelled back from east London with an away point in the bag, with the game having ended in a 1-1 draw. Marc Albrighton scored in the first half for City, with Cheikhou Kouyaté equalising after the interval.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: James Maddison & Marko Arnautovic
Leicester midfielder James Maddison has created 18 chances in the Premier League this season, more than any other English player. He has created four big chances, and has also provided two assists. He can score goals as well as provide them for others too, having found the net on three occasions in the league in 2018/19. One of those goals has come from the penalty spot. Another has come from a free kick, highlighting Maddison’s deadball abilities.
Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic is West Ham’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, having found the net four times in his eight league appearances. He has also provided one assist, and created one big chance. He offers creativity in wide areas as well as in the box too, having crossed the ball four times so far this season in the league. With a shooting accuracy of 46% he is a player the home defence will have to watch.
