Leicester City and Everton will aim to enhance their respective bids for Premier League survival when they clash in a huge relegation six-pointer at the King Power Stadium on Monday night.
With five games remaining to save their seasons, both sides find themselves in the bottom three, with 18th-placed Leicester leading 19th-placed Everton by a solitary point.
However, with Nottingham Forest and Leeds United sitting just one point clear of the drop zone, Leicester and Everton will be hopeful of turning the tide and avoiding relegation.
Leicester City head into Monday’s showdown on the back of a 1-1 draw at Leeds, with Jamie Vardy coming off the bench to snatch a point for his team on 80 minutes.
Tuesday’s draw followed a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, meaning the Foxes have taken four points from their last two matches after enduring a run of nine defeats in 10 outings, with Dean Smith replacing Brendan Rodgers in early April.
There is no denying that the 2015-16 Premier League champions have failed to live up to expectations this season, losing 20 of their 33 league games. Worse still, Leicester have conceded 57 goals, meaning only four teams have a poorer defensive record.
As for Everton, they suffered a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United last time out, conceding three goals in the final 15 minutes, with Dwight McNeil’s late strike proving to be nothing more than a consolation goal.
The Toffees have now failed to win any of their last six games, recording three draws and three losses. When you look at the bigger picture, Sean Dyche’s side have managed to win just one of their previous 10 encounters.
It is also worth noting that Everton are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, having netted a measly 25 goals this season. With five goals to his name, Dwight McNeil is the club’s top scorer in the league, while Demarai Gray has bagged four goals.
Earlier this season, Leicester claimed a 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park, courtesy of goals from Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes. That said, November’s triumph ended a five-game winless run for the Foxes in this fixture.
Leicester are currently without the injured quartet of Kelechi Iheanacho, James Justin, Ryan Bertrand and Jannick Vetsergaard. On top of that, Ricardo Pereira and Jonny Evans are doubts for Monday’s clash.
Everton, meanwhile, have Andros Townsend and Ruben Vinagre sidelined through injury. There are also question marks over the fitness of Seamus Coleman, although Mason Holgate is set to return from suspension.
Fans in the UK can catch the action on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and via the Sky Go app.
Expert Insight: With Leicester and Everton fighting for their lives at the bottom end of the table, both sides will be desperate to avoid defeat at the King Power Stadium. With that in mind, Monday’s showdown is expected to be a tense and cagey affair as the relegation strugglers aim to move out of the drop zone.
Premier League