West Bromwich VS Leicester City Match Prediction
2020-09-13
13:00:00
West Bromwich
VS
Leicester City
Our Prediction Tip
Leicester City will win this match.
2020-09-1313:00:00 Leicester City will win this match.
Prior to their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, West Brom had only won one of their last eight matches against Leicester City. Leicester won their last meeting 4-1 in March 2018 with Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho among the players on target at The Hawthorns.
After a limp end to the 2019-20 season, which saw them miss out on a Champions League place that had seemed assured when the season paused, Leicester have a lot to prove this season.
While they were performing well above expectations – and not for the first time, of course – the Foxes should still have had every reason to be disappointed by not finishing in the top four.
James Maddison could return for this game, and will be back soon if not, although Jonny Evans’ suspension is unhelpful at the back with Leicester potentially short in that department.
Jamie Vardy will lead the line as he looks to build on last season’s Golden Boot, however – a campaign in which he passed 100 goals in the top flight.
For West Brom, they have invested well this summer to ensure their key loanees from last season have all arrived on permanent deals.
They are not nicknamed the ‘boing boing Baggies’ for nothing though – too often they have proved too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier League.
Slaven Bilic will become the latest manager to try and buck that trend, but they go into their first home game as outsiders, against a Leicester team for whom European football has to be the minimum aim.
Leicester City are evens to win their opening match of the 2020-21 Premier League season with 888sport.
Neither side ended the last season in good form and, lacking momentum, there could be very little in this game. Under 2.5 goals will return a best price of 10/11 with Bet365.
Jamie Vardy won the Premier League Golden Boot last season and the Foxes’ striker is 23/20 with 888sport to score at any time.
Leicester City are favourites to beat West Bromwich Albion as the Baggies make their Premier League return. Neither ended the previous season well, but Leicester have the quality to get back to winning ways.
Kenneth Zohore and Conor Townsend are doubts for West Brom, who have their final-day goalscorers – Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson – available after both made their loan moves permanent. Matheus Pereira did likewise and all three are likely to start against Leicester.
Grady Diangana – West Ham captain Mark Noble expressed his disappointment that the young winger was not retained, which is a testament to his talent.
Callum Robinson – Another to sign permanently, having led the line and grabbed a goal and assist on the final day of the season.
Matheus Pereira – The third of the attacking players to make their loan moves permanent, the winger’s creativity will be key.
West Brom rather limped over the line at the end of the last Championship season, but a final-day draw with QPR, in which Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson netted for the Baggies, was enough to seal promotion.
Right-back Timothy Castagne has arrived at Leicester, but left-back Ben Chilwell has left to join Chelsea. James Maddison could be back for the season opener, but Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira are definitely out and Wes Morgan could be a doubt too.
James Maddison – He was sorely missed at the end of last season as injury curtailed his season early – his creativity will be key.
Jamie Vardy – Last season’s Golden Boot winner hit 23 goals in 35 appearances and now has more than 100 Premier League goals.
Harvey Barnes – Even if Maddison is fit, and especially if he is not, Barnes could be a key player going forward against his former team.
Leicester City lacked form after the restart last season and dropped out of the Champions League places as a result. Back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Manchester United ultimately sealed their fate in the final two matches of the season.
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