Despite their struggles across all fronts in the 2024-25 campaign to date, Manchester City have managed to maintain a level of consistency in the FA Cup, with the English champions now into their seventh straight semi-final in the competition following victory over Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens struggled to deal with the Cherries' high-intensity game plan initially and went into the half-time break trailing, but the second-half introduction of youngster Nico O'Reilly flipped the contest on its head, with the 20-year-old setting up goals for both Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush.

Largely down to the brilliance of the academy graduate, Pep Guardiola's troops have a Wembley date with high-flying Nottingham Forest to look forward to near the end of April, although the Premier League champions will first navigate a quartet of top-flight battles in their quest for Champions League qualification.

Victories over Plymouth Argyle and Bournemouth in the FA Cup sandwiched unsuccessful afternoons in the Premier League for the Citizens during March, when the current holders lost 1-0 at the City Ground to Nottingham Forest, a week before frustratingly sharing the spoils with Brighton & Hove Albion on the blue side of Manchester.

Arguably the most intimidating venue for visitors in club football since the turn of the decade, the Etihad has not always been a happy place in 2024-25 for Man City, who only rank sixth in the Premier League based on home form, with Guardiola's side collecting just the single point from their last two home league contests.

Cantering to the Championship title under the stewardship of Enzo Maresca last season, Leicester City were tipped as a newly-promoted side who could buck recent trends and compete in the top flight, although the East Midlands club are currently cut adrift in the Premier League alongside fellow newcomers Ipswich Town and Southampton.

The frightened Foxes have lost each of their last six league contests without finding the net, conceding a staggering 16 goals in the painful process, breaking numerous unwanted records and raising concerns over the growing chasm in quality between England's top 17 clubs and the rest.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's men suffered their seventh straight Premier League defeat at the King Power Stadium without making the net ripple prior to the international break, with goals from Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes sealing a comfortable success for Manchester United.

Escaping their East Midlands nightmares for a moment, Leicester will travel North to the Etihad on Wednesday night possessing the leakiest defence on the road in the division to date, with the Foxes conceding an eye-watering 35 goals across 14 away matches in the Premier League.

Whilst the odds are stacked against Van Nistelrooy's boys ahead of this week's match in Manchester, the strugglers will take a slither of confidence from their big day out at the end of January, when second-half strikes from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss sealed a surprise success at Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Nunes, Gvardiol, Dias, O'Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Marmoush

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Faes, Coady, Okoli; Justin, Ndidi, Winks, Kristiansen; Buonanotte, El Khannouss; Vardy