Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
The new manager bounce that Claude Puel gave Leicester is something of a distant memory as of late as after an impressive start to the Frenchman’s time at the King Power Stadium they have now failed to win any of their last four league matches.
During that run they have only picked up a solitary point from a possible 12, with the Foxes picking up a dramatic late draw against Manchester United on December 23rd. However even though they may be in a rut as of late they still manage to find themselves eighth in the Premier League table going into today’s clash with Huddersfield.
Last Saturday saw them travel to Anfield to face Liverpool and although they took an early lead through Jamie Vardy, they would travel back to the East Midlands empty handed due to the fact that Mohamed Salah’s brace would complete a comeback for Jurgen Klopp’s men and hand them all three points.
Disappointment for Leicester who had chances to level the game late on and in fairness their performance did at least merit a point but unfortunately they could not quite get the rub of the green and had to settle for a blank in their last fixture of 2017.
They will no doubt hope that 2018 brings a positive start to the year by picking up maximum points this afternoon but Claude Puel will be hoping that his defence can tighten itself up as for all their attacking endeavour they are seemingly undone at the other end of the pitch.
The 2015/16 Premier League champions have scored 31 goals this season but unfortunately for them they have conceded 32. The fact that they have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last half dozen outings pretty much says it all.
They will however be looking for lucky number seven when David Wagner’s men come to town and they have had nothing short of an incredible 2017. Firstly getting promoted to the English top flight is success enough but to make an honest fist of also can only be highly commended.
Where Leicester have failed to win in any of their last four Premier League matches, Huddersfield are unbeaten in the same run of games. The Yorkshire outfit may have drawn their last three fixtures but at the same time they are at least proving that they are hard to beat.
And it is that hard to beat quality that sees the club currently sit 11th in the table, if you were to offer any Huddersfeld that position in 2018 it is fair to say that they would bite your arm off. But at the same time, fans, managers and players alike know that the job is only half done.
There are just six points between Huddersfield in 11th and West Ham in 18th, it would only need two or three defeats in a row for David Wagner’s men for the complexion of their season to completely change, so as good as the start has been they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Last Saturday saw their third straight draw come at home when they played host to Sean Dyche’s Burnley, they were perhaps bailed out by the fact that the Clarets were not awarded what looked like a certain penalty but at the end of the day it was another point on the board as Huddersfield continue to keep their heads well above water.
With Leicester not winning in four and Huddersfield not losing in four it may well point to an away win this afternoon but streaks are there to be broken and I just think with the additional goal threat that Claude Puel has at his disposal it will be the Foxes that come out on top. Home win for me.
