Premier League | Gameweek 26

Feb 21, 2025 at 8pm UK

King Power Stadium

Leicester vs Brentford

Match preview

Despite suffering a ninth defeat in 10 league games last weekend, Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy was able to take some positives from the 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal.

Leicester held their title challengers at bay for over 80 minutes before eventually succumbing to two late Mikel Merino strikes to drop them into the relegation zone and into 19th place in the table.

Last Saturday's result was Leicester's fifth successive home defeat in the league, and if they lose again in this fixture, they will be on course for an unwanted sixth.

In those five defeats, the Foxes have also conceded 11 goals without reply, and only one team in the history of the top flight has lost six consecutive home league games without conceding (Norwich City between June 2020 and August 2021), with no club managing it in the same campaign.

Despite these bleak statistics, Leicester are still within touching distance of safety heading into the weekend, and Friday night's game gives them the opportunity to move out of the bottom three ahead of Ipswich Town and Wolves.

A win for Van Nistelrooy's men would take them a point above 17th-placed Wolves in the four-horse race for survival, and the hosts are unbeaten in their last four home league games against Brentford.

However, Brentford's 4-1 win over Leicester earlier in the season ended a 12-match unbeaten run against the Foxes, so this could be the game that turns the tide.

It also gives the Bees the chance to complete the league double over their next opponents for the first time in a whopping 72 years, and their recent away form suggests that is a real possibility.

Thomas Frank's side began the season notorious for having the best home and worst away form in the league, but that has completely reversed in recent weeks.

After taking just two points from a possible 27 away from home, Brentford have now won three in a row at the Gtech, beating Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham United 1-0 last weekend.

In a dominant performance, Kevin Schade got the ball rolling early on, scoring Brentford's seventh goal of the season inside the first 10 minutes - a league-high - and it could have been four or five before the break, with Yoane Wissa having two goals disallowed for tight offside decisions.

Another away trip gives the Bees the chance to win four consecutive away league games for the first time since they became a League One club in September 2011, something they have never done in the top flight.

Had Brentford's impressive home form not fallen off a cliff just as they were getting their act together away from home, Frank's men could have been challenging for Europe, but instead they remain in the bottom half of the table.

However, their hopes of a late European push are not completely dead, especially if they can win here to move within two points of eighth-placed Fulham, who will be looking to continue their excellent run of results on this day since promotion - 13 points from five games - in their second Friday fixture of the season.

Recent Performance

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Leicester City form (all competitions):LLWLLL

Brentford Premier League form:WDLWLW

Brentford form (all competitions):LDLWLW

Team News

Leicester full-back James Justin will be assessed before the game after coming off in the first half against Arsenal with an ankle injury, so Woyo Coulibaly could be in line for a full debut following his arrival from Parma last month.

The return of Wilfred Ndidi has made a huge impact in the last two games since returning from a long-term injury, making Leicester much more competitive in the engine room, which is why Harry Winks is likely to remain on the bench.

Ricardo Pereira (muscle) and Abdul Fatawu (knee) remain sidelined with long-term injuries, with the latter ruled out for the rest of the season.

Brentford's Sepp van den Berg will undergo a late fitness test after sustaining a knee injury in the win at West Ham, but Ethan Pinnock's timely return should see them through in his absence.

Elsewhere, Frank is likely to name an unchanged side after an impressive display at the London Stadium, where Schade was back in goal before facing the opponents he scored a hat-trick against in the reverse fixture.

Mathias Jensen has yet to reclaim his place in the midfield after returning from injury, while Josh Dasilva, Igor Thiago and the full-back pairing of Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry remain on the treatment table.

Possible starting lineup

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Coulibaly, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen; Soumare, Ndidi; Buonanotte, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa