It is a four-way battle for this season’s English Premier League title, and tomorrow night second-placed Manchester City entertain the underdogs that simply refuse to go away, leaders Leicester City. It is THE most important contest of the campaign so far, and TODAY columnist Adrian Clarke (sports@mediacorp.com.sg) picks out five things we need to keep an eye on …
RANIERI: CONFIDENT OR CAUTIOUS?
When they fought out a goalless draw in late December, Leicester showed too much respect. Fearful of City’s attacking midfield maestros, Claudio Ranieri changed his 4-4-1-1 formation to a 4-5-1, dropping a forward to accommodate an extra defensive midfielder, Gokhan Inler.
It did not work.
In matches at Etihad Stadium it is even easier for managers to go into their shell, and to focus on “protecting”, but that is not the attitude that has taken Leicester to the summit. If they retreat too much again and invite waves of home pressure, the 90 minutes will feel more like 900.
The Foxes would be advised to remember they have the pace and firepower to unsettle a Man City side that does not enjoy being pressured. By unleashing their now familiar high-octane style, without being too gung-ho, the table toppers could be rewarded.
EXPOSING YAYA
Outgoing boss Manuel Pellegrini has a blind spot where Yaya Toure is concerned. It does not seem to matter how often the Ivorian is left trailing in the slipstream of dynamic opponents, the Chilean continues to deploy him as part of a standard midfield two. Sadly, he just does not have the athleticism to keep up.
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