Pre-Match Analysis: Will Bournemouth pile more misery on Leicester City?

Pre-Match Analysis: Will Bournemouth pile more misery on Leicester City?.

Bournemouth travel to Leicester City, where they will be hoping to exploit the Foxes’ Premier League struggles and move up into the top ten.

After defeating fellow Southerners Southampton on Monday night, Bournemouth will be hoping to cap off a successful football week when they travel to Leicester City.

With eight points out of eighteen, the Cherries are in 11th place, just outside the top ten, despite putting on some excellent performances so far this season.

Conversely, their hosts have not had an easy time at all.

Leicester City will aim to make amends in front of their supporters at the seventh try and relieve pressure on Steve Cooper because they have yet to register a single win in the league thus far, with three draws and three losses.

Intensity is key to success

They have gathered a lot of points this season by forcing mistakes and creating opportunities by persistently pressing and bothering their opponents high up the pitch.

If they can retain that type of play and enthusiasm against Leicester City, there is every potential they will come out on top.

Conversely, Leicester has frequently come under fire for their conservative approach to game management, sometimes choosing to make defensive substitutions even when they are leading a game.

They have been exposed by their cautious strategy, especially in the first half, as they appear satisfied merely play the entire game until halftime and destroy teams with flashes of individual brilliance.

This may have worked in their most recent matchup with Arsenal, but it is definitely an unworkable strategy for a 38-game season.

For Bournemouth, this presents an opportunity, however.

If they can start fast, press hard, and disrupt Leicester’s rhythm early on, much like they did in their 3-1 win against Southampton on Monday, they will put the Foxes back into their holes.

Ryan Christie ranks sixth  the league for loose ball recoveries with 38, closely followed by Lewis Cook with 36 and Antoine Semenyo on 32, who all feature in the top 20 players in the league, so Bournemouth have the right players to dominate those crucial midfield battles.

Leicester must not be allowed to dominate possession or settle into their game, if the Cherries want anything from it.

If Bournemouth can press effectively, sustain their intensity, and manage the fixture smartly, they will stand a great chance of getting a positive result tomorrow.

Goals from wide play

Since Andoni Iraola’s arrival from Spain, Bournemouth have been transformed into an attack-minded, direct side, creating plenty of chances, especially through their wide play.

Players like Antoine Semenyo, Marcus Tavernier, and Luis Sinisterra have excelled on the flanks, each bringing something different – whether that is quick, tricky feet or direct, powerful running.

Plus, their ability to use both feet keeps defenders guessing and often leaves them stranded.

Bournemouth’s creativity has largely come from players in central positions, with Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Christie, and Justin Kluivert ranking as their most creative on average per 90 minutes, who often supply their teammates with killer balls.

And this is especially relevant given Leicester’s struggles down the wings this season.

In their last three games against Arsenal, Everton, and Crystal Palace, the Foxes repeatedly allowed opponents to get in behind, cross dangerously, and conceded goals and penalties as a result of it.

With Leicester having conceded the most shots in the league so far with 115, Bournemouth’s attacking players will be licking their lips at the opportunities that could present themselves tomorrow.

It is a matchup that should have Leicester fans worried, as their defensive frailties could once again be exposed and have them finishing another match day without a win.

A solid defensive duo

Bournemouth’s defensive struggles this season have generally come down to lapses in concentration and individual errors, gifting opponents goals at critical moments.

Despite both Bournemouth and Leicester scoring the same number of goals, neither side has managed a clean sheet, so it promises to be a goal-filled affair.

Interestingly, Leicester have posted the joint-lowest expected goals ratio in the league so far, with just 4.3 over six games, and yet they have still managed to match Bournemouth‘s goal tally.

But whether it has been through moments of individual brilliance or opposition mistakes, Leicester have been more clinical than their xG suggests, something Bournemouth’s defence should be wary of heading into Saturday.

If Bournemouth are to keep a clean sheet—or even just concede fewer goals than their hosts score – the performances of their central defensive partnership, Illia Zabarnyi and Marcos Senesi, will be absolutely vital.

Both have been in fine form this season, but they will need to maintain that level against Leicester’s experienced attackers, which includes the ever-dangerous Jamie Vardy.

Vardy, who enjoys exploiting playing errors and thriving on unsettling defenders with his movement, will be a constant threat, whether he starts the game or not.

And Bournemouth’s centre-backs must also be prepared to battle Leicester’s tall, physical players on set-pieces and crosses too.

For Bournemouth’s defenders, concentration will be key, as even a small lapse could prove costly against a player like Vardy, who has a knack of finding the net against Bournemouth a few times in the past…

• Bournemouth are a bogey team for the Foxes

It has been a solid start to the season for Bournemouth so far, with equal measures of each result – two wins, two draws, and two defeats.

Their latest result was an impressive 3-1 victory over Southampton on Monday evening, which left them 11th in the table with eight points.

It has been a season of exciting performances and encouraging results, giving Bournemouth fans plenty to be optimistic about.

For Leicester, however, it has been a different story.

The Foxes are yet to secure a Premier League win under new manager Steve Cooper, with their only outright victory coming against League Two Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup.

Overall, their form in the Premier League has been concerning, with performances that have only added to that concern.

And things do not get much better for Leicester when looking at their head-to-head record with Bournemouth.

Despite winning against their hosts last year in the FA Cup, Leicester have struggled against Bournemouth in the league, winning just two of the last 12 meetings.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have claimed five victories, with their most recent league against Leicester coming at the King Power Stadium in February 2023.

The Cherries have quietly developed into something of a bogey team for Leicester, with history often favouring the Southerners rather than the Midlanders.

With this in mind, Bournemouth fans will hope that this positive record continues as they head into Saturday’s clash.

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