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Leicestercity 6mos ago
'So much debate...': Sky Sports pundit gives Preston North End vs Leicester City score prediction
Source:Leicestercity

Leicester City return to Championship action with a trip to Preston North End on Monday night.

Back-to-back wins sees Leicester City back at the top of the Championship pile.

The Foxes thumped Southampton 5-0 in midweek and sent a stern message to the likes of Leeds United in 2nd and Ipswich Town in 3rd.

Leicester now sit on 94 points and could reach the 100 mark if they win their final two games, whilst Leeds are on 90 and Ipswich on 89, but with a game in hand.

But Enzo Maresca and his players have the pressure of being the last ones in the title race to play this weekend.

They play Preston at Deepdale on Monday night, whilst Leeds United play QPR away from home on Friday night, and Ipswich Town travel to Hull City on the Saturday.

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Historically speaking, Preston have been a bogey team for Leicester, though the Foxes have won their last two outings against the Lilywhites.

The reverse fixture at the King Power Stadium earlier this season ended in a 3-0 Leicester win.

And the meeting before that was at Deepdale in a friendly match in 2022, with Leicester winning 2-1, though the last competitive game between these two teams at Preston's home ground was in 2014.

That was a 1-1 draw, with the Foxes' last competitive win at Preston coming way back in the 2009/10 Championship season in which Leicester finished in 5th, then going on to lose against Cardiff City in the play-offs.

"The last couple of games have been a proper bounce back to form. There's been so much debate about Leicester and how they've gone about it, and questions about Enzo, it's staggering to think because they now look to be just about there in a very secure way. They rode their luck a bit against West Brom, they smashed Southampton on the break."

He added:

"I would lean on a Leicester win for this."

Prutton predicts a 2-1 Leicester City win.

A huge weekend ahead in the Championship Leicester City may well be promoted before they even kick a ball on Monday.

If both Leeds United and Ipswich Town lose this weekend, then Leicester will be promoted.

If Leeds lose and Ipswich draw, or Leeds lose and Ipswich win, then Leicester are also promoted ahead of their game at Preston.

But in the likelier scenario that Leeds beat QPR and Ipswich Town take something from their game vs Hull City, then Leicester will need a win on Monday to seal their fate.

And it's not the trickiest game for the Foxes, though it's still a potential banana skin.

The Lilywhites are in 10th and now out of the top six.

Though they'll of course want to finish strong and set the tone for next season, and a win against title-chasers Leicester City would do just that.

Expect Leicester to have a close eye on Leeds and Ipswich this weekend, but expect Maresca and his men to have their sites firmly set on Deepdale.