Leicester City vs Crystal Palace - as it happened: Eagles end away-day hoodoo with victory over Foxes
Re-live all the action from the King Power Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.In-form Leicester host a Crystal Palace side unbeaten in six, but still searching for their first away goal of the season, in the opening Premier League game of the day on a busy Saturday afternoon. Follow the latest here.
- Leicester City vs Crystal Palace kicks off at 12:30 GMT
- Foxes on a run of four straight league victories to close in on top seven
- Resurgent Palace looking to build on Tuesday's comeback victory over Watford
- Vicente Iborra and Marc Albrighton looking for Leicester recalls
- Palace without suspended Luka Milivojevic and injured Mamadou Sakho, Joel Ward and Tomothy Fosu-Mensah
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Preview
Leicester have won four on the bounce to return to the European reckoning, just four points behind Arsenal in seventh and five off the top four. Claude Puel’s side have shown real attacking flair in recent weeks too, with seven goals in their past two games.
Puel has helped to get the best out of the Foxes’ attacking players, with Riyad Mahrez already equalling his numbers for last season in terms of goals created (9), while Demarai Gray and Shinji Okazaki have also been enjoying themselves.
Crystal Palace are enjoying an upturn in fortunes too, with their last-gasp victory over Watford in midweek extending an impressive unbeaten run. They remain in the relegation zone, but are level on points with West Brom in 17th. However, a worrying festive fixture list, with games against Arsenal and Manchester City before the new year, and their consistently dreadful away form remain concerns for Roy Hodgson.
Christian Benteke’s form is also a problem, with the club-record signing without a goal this season. The Belgian is Palace’s only recognised senior striker, but Bakary Sako is improving as an option there, showing his poacher’s instincts with a goal in midweek.
Palace have no new injury concerns, and Joel Ward is unlikely to recover from a groin strain in time for the match, meaning Hodgson will change little from Tuesday’s side. Scott Dann continues to deputise for Mamadou Sakho, while Benteke could drop out for Sako if Hodgson loses his patience with the Belgian. James McArthur is also pushing for a selection after scoring the winner from the bench on Tuesday, with Yohan Cabaye most likely to drop out of the side.
Demarai Gray is set to return for Leicester as Claude Puel rotates his side to deal with fixture congestion, with Ben Chilwell, an unorthodox winger against Southampton, the man most likely to miss out. Vicente Iborra is also likely to come back into the side after starting nine consecutive games before dropping to the bench in midweek. Matty James and Robert Huth will not return from their respective long-term injuries before Christmas.
What time does it start?
Leicester vs Crystal Palace is at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting from 11.30am.
It’s a big game for…
Riyad Mahrez. The tricky Algerian is finally rediscovering the form that won him PFA Player of the Year two years ago, after a difficult campaign last season. He has five goals and three assists in his last ten games, and will enjoy the opportunity to run at the fragile Palace defence.
He and his team thrive on momentum though, and it is crucial for 26-year-old to continue his good form if Leicester are to maintain their push for a top-seven place.
Best stat…
Claude Puel has not won five consecutive league games as a manager since 2008, when his Lyon side went on to finish third in Ligue 1.
Remember when...
Martin O’Neill’s Leicester City won promotion to the Premier League in 1996 ahead of Palace after beating them 2-1 in a dramatic play-off final. Steve Claridge shinned a fluky winner into the top corner in the last minute of extra time to win it for the Foxes. The oversized Palace shirts worn here are a particular highlight.
Player to watch…
Wilfried Zaha. Is there any team in the Premier League as reliant on one player as Crystal Palace are on Wilfried Zaha? The forward was integral to both of Palace’s goals on Tuesday, with the rebound from his shot converted by Bakary Sako, before Zaha’s brilliant run and pull-back set up James McArthur for the winner.
Zaha has moved more central in recent weeks, usually partnering Benteke up front in an approximation of 4-4-2, and his ability to run at players and create chances is unrivalled in this Palace side. His three league goals is the highest tally in a low-scoring side, and the Ivorian will be key to the Eagles improving their poor away form, especially if his electric pace is effectively utilised on the break.
Previous three meetings…
Crystal Palace 2 (Cabaye, Benteke) Leicester City 2 (Huth, Vardy), Premier League, April 2017
Leicester City 3 (Musa, Okazaki, Fuchs) Crystal Palace 1 (Cabaye), Premier League, October 2016
Crystal Palace 0 Leicester City 1 (Mahrez), Premier League, March 2016
Form guide…
Leicester City: DWWWW
Crystal Palace: WDDDW
Odds…
Leicester City: 17/20
Crystal Palace: 10/3
Draw: 13/5
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 0
Patchy start from both sides, Palace perhaps seeing marginally more of the ball but neither side doing much with it yet.
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 0
OH! Great chance for Palace, Schlupp makes a mazy run into the box from the right hand side and gets to the edge of the six yard box before squaring it for Benteke but the striker can't get on the end of it and the ball whizzes tantalisingly across the face of the goal.
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 0
Palace are all over Leicester at the moment, Loftus-Cheek forces a great save from Schmeichel down low to his right.
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 0
Leicester trying to build some pressure now but they are struggling to find a decent final ball and Palace have been able to clear fairly easily. The visitors look dangerous on the counter as well.
GOAL!
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 1 - Christian Benteke
The goal drought is at an end! Palace take a deserved lead through their goal-shy Belgian striker, heading in a great cross from Townsend.
Leicester 0 Crystal Palace 1
Palace still bossing things at the moment, probing down both flanks, but in particular down the right with Townsend. He whips in a cross but it's picked out of the air by Schmeichel.
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