The Etihad Stadium hosts a Premier League encounter between two clubs experiencing vastly different fortunes this Wednesday, as Manchester City’s unexpected battle for Champions League qualification meets Leicester’s desperate fight to avoid relegation.
This fixture would have been pencilled as a routine home win in the past, but City are not at their best this season, and that may offer Leicester a small glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a nightmare return to the Premier League.
Key Details
- Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- Kick-off: 19:45 (UK Time)
- Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Current Form
Manchester City’s Season
The once-imperious Manchester City sit fifth in the Premier League as April begins, outside the Champions League places and watching their rivals Liverpool stay well-anchored to the top of the table. City’s current record of 14 wins, 6 draws, and 9 defeats is their worst league performance under Guardiola’s otherwise spotless managerial career in England.
City’s attacking statistics remain impressive – 55 goals scored at an average of 1.9 per match (more than Arsenal, Forest, and Chelsea so far) – but it’s their defensive fragility that has undermined this campaign. The backline that conceded only 34 goals in the entirety of last season has already shipped 40 this term, with only 7 clean sheets to show for their efforts.
Erling Haaland continues to defy logic with 21 Premier League goals – he’s the second-highest scorer of the tournament just after Salah – supported by Savinho providing 7 assists. Phil Foden’s evolution has also been a positive, contributing 7 goals from midfield.
Recent form offers little comfort – just two wins from their last five league outings has seen the gap to fourth place widen rather than narrow. For a club that has collected Premier League trophies with assembly-line efficiency, the prospect of Europa League football next season looms as an almost inconceivable failure.
Leicester’s Season
If City’s season has been disappointing, Leicester’s has been catastrophic. Nine months after celebrating promotion, the Foxes find themselves 19th in the table with a paltry 17 points from 29 matches, staring relegation directly in the face.
The statistics tell a grim story: 4 wins, 5 draws, and 20 defeats. Leicester have scored 25 goals so far (0.86 per match) while conceding 65 (2.24 per match). Their goal difference of -40 is the second-worst in the division, and they’ve managed just a single clean sheet all season.
Most alarming is their current run of six consecutive defeats without scoring a single goal. This attacking drought prompted manager Ruud van Nistelrooy to switch to a five-at-the-back system against Chelsea and Manchester United, which has offered more defensive stability but failed to address their scoring woes.
Jamie Vardy, now 38, leads the scoring charts with 7 goals but appears increasingly isolated in a team struggling for creativity. The bright spot, if one can be found, is Victor Kristiansen’s 82 tackles – a statistic that speaks volumes about the defensive pressure this team has endured.
Manchester City vs Leicester: Recent Head-to-Head Meetings
| Date | Competition | Result |
| December 29, 2024 | Premier League | Leicester 0-2 Manchester City |
| April 15, 2023 | Premier League | Manchester City 3-1 Leicester |
| October 29, 2022 | Premier League | Leicester 0-1 Manchester City |
| December 26, 2021 | Premier League | Manchester City 6-3 Leicester |
| September 11, 2021 | Premier League | Leicester 0-1 Manchester City |
Manchester City have won all five of their most recent encounters with Leicester, with the Foxes failing to score in three of these matches. Their most recent meeting in December saw City claim a comfortable 2-0 victory at the King Power Stadium, continuing their dominant record in this fixture.
The historical record offers little comfort for Leicester supporters – in 25 Premier League meetings, City have claimed 16 victories (7 at home, 9 away) to Leicester’s 7 (5 of them away), with just 2 draws.
Statistical Insights & Facts
- City and Leicester represent opposite ends of the scoring spectrum: Haaland alone (21 goals) has nearly matched Leicester’s entire team total (25 goals)
- After Haaland, Phil Foden (Man City) and Jamie Vardy (Leicester) are the strongest goal-scorers of the fixture with 7 goals each
- City average 2.45 chances created per match compared to Leicester’s 1.38
- Both teams have struggled defensively this season – City have kept 7 clean sheets, Leicester just 1
- Man City’s biggest win of the season so far is a 6-0 victory over Ipswich. Leicester’s is a 3-1 win over West Ham
Premier League | Manchester City vs Leicester: Odds
7bet provides the following odds for the next Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester.
| Market | Selection | Odds |
| 1X2 | Manchester City | 1/5 |
| Draw | 13/2 | |
| Leicester | 11/1 | |
| First Goal | Manchester City | 2/9 |
| No Goal | 20/1 | |
| Leicester | 3/1 | |
| Double Chance | Manchester City or Draw | 1/25 |
| Manchester City or Leicester | 1/11 | |
| Draw or Leicester | 14/5 | |
| Both Teams to Score | Yes | 10/11 |
| No | 10/11 | |
| Draw No Bet | Manchester City | 1/25 |
| Leicester | 8/1 |
Please note that these odds are accurate at the time of publishing. Make sure to check the latest odds before placing your bet.
The Match-Up
Wednesday’s encounter presents both managers with significant tactical decisions. For van Nistelrooy, the recent switch to a back-five formation has shown promise structurally, but changes appear necessary. Reports suggest Caleb Okoli could replace the error-prone Wout Faes, whose missteps against Manchester United drew criticism from his manager.
Further changes may see Woyo Coulibaly introduced at wing-back, allowing James Justin to switch to his preferred left side, while Harry Winks could replace Boubakary Soumaré in midfield. Most intriguing is the potential introduction of Facundo Buonanotte to partner Vardy up front, providing the technical quality that Patson Daka has struggled to deliver.
For Guardiola, the defensive concerns that have plagued this season show no signs of abating. With City’s backline depleted by injuries, their makeshift defence lacks the assurance of previous campaigns, though Leicester’s scoring difficulties offer some respite.
The odds of 1/5 for a City victory reflect the bookmakers’ confidence in the home side despite their inconsistent form. The perfectly balanced 10/11 odds for Both Teams to Score suggests uncertainty about whether Leicester can end their goalless run.
City’s superior quality should ultimately prevail against a Leicester side desperately low on confidence. The key for van Nistelrooy will be whether his tactical tweaks can provide a platform for his team to remain competitive beyond the opening exchanges, something they’ve failed to achieve in recent weeks.
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