Leicester City vs Everton FC, Premier League 2022-2023, Today Match Prediction

Leicester City vs Everton FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Dean Smith has had a mixed start to life as Leicester City’s interim manager, watching his side lose, win and then draw in his first three games in charge.

He’ll be feeling more positive of late, of course, seeing as that first game was against Manchester City. They only face one more top four team in the remainder of the campaign.

Still, it won’t be easy to drag the Foxes out of their current danger, what with opponents Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leeds all within two points of each other.

The same goes for Everton and Sean Dyche, whose magic seems to have worn off after his opening few weeks in the job.

Dyche was brought in to avoid relegation, but they seem to be moving closer to their doom following a winless streak lasting six games.

A defeat here would move them closer to the unmentionable.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Leicester City Preview

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Beat Everton earlier this season

     Dean Smith is unbeaten in all six meetings with Everton as manager

Reasons to be fearful:

     Have lost two consecutive home games against the Toffees

     No clean sheets from their last 18 league games

Time is running out for Leicester to make their move at the business end of this season, as they find themselves one of four teams who could realistically survive or face relegation.

This game represents Leicester’s game in hand over Leeds and Nottingham Forest above them, so three points would launch them up into 16th. 

Positively, interim manager Dean Smith has never tasted defeat against Everton in his managerial career, winning four and drawing on two occasions. 

The Foxes won their most recent home game, a tight 2-1 victory over Wolves, and they are aiming for back-to-back victories at the King Power for the first time in more than a year.

In terms of head-to-head against the Toffees, they beat their opponents earlier this season, although they’ve lost their last two at home. Not great signs for the home side here.

Star Man – James Maddison

Maddison ended a long run without a goal contribution in the last game, providing the assist for Vardy’s equalising goal against Leeds. He could do with a timely patch of good form here.

Everton FC Preview

Reasons to be cheerful

     Calvert-Lewin’s return to form is a rare positive for the Toffees

     Could win three consecutive games at the King Power

Reasons to be fearful

     Winless in their previous 14 away games

     Claimed seven points from the last 30 available

It’s been a season with little to shout about for Everton and its passionate fans. 

The disastrous run under Frank Lampard has left them in dire trouble, and Sean Dyche is facing arguably the toughest challenge of his managerial career to keep them in the Premier League this season.

After winning two of their first three under Dyche, they’ve now gone six without victory and claimed just seven points from their last 10 games.

You could argue that defeat here would leave them odds-on favourites to go down alongside Southampton, even though the gap would remain two points to Forest.

Their remaining fixtures don’t offer too much optimism either, with Brighton, Manchester City, Wolves and Bournemouth their final opponents. How many points will they collect from that tough run?

Star Man – Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The striker has endured a terrible couple of seasons, with injuries allowing him just 18 appearances last campaign and 14 so far during this, with a combined six goals between them. He needs to find form quickly.