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Assessing Leicester City's final six Premier League fixtures

Sports Mole assesses Leicester City's final six Premier League fixtures, which include games against Liverpool and Newcastle United.

After going nine Premier League games without a win, Leicester City gave their survival chances a boost at the weekend when they claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves took the lead through Matheus Cunha, but a Kelechi Iheanacho spot kick and a composed finish from Timothy Castagne ensured that Dean Smith's first home game as Leicester boss yielded three crucial points.

The win moved Leicester out of the bottom three due to their superior goal difference compared to relegation rivals Everton.

With six matches left to play, the Foxes still have considerable work to do if they are to extend their stay in the top flight into a 10th season.

Here, Sports Mole assesses Leicester's final six Premier League fixtures of the 2022-23 campaign.



Leeds United (Away) - April 25

Leeds United manager Javi Gracia pictured on April 17, 2023© Reuters

Leicester have only picked up one point from their last five away games, but Tuesday's trip to Elland Road presents the Foxes with a realistic chance of claiming their first away win since beating Aston Villa 4-2 on February 4.

Leeds United have been in freefall in recent weeks, conceding 13 goals across three consecutive defeats.

The Foxes have failed to score more than one goal in any of their previous five away matches, but they will be looking to take advantage of a Leeds side that hold the second-worst defensive record in the top flight after shipping 62 goals in 32 games.

An encouraging head-to-head record will also give Leicester hope, with their last seven league games against Leeds producing four wins, three draws and just one defeat.



Everton (Home) - May 1

Everton's Ellis Simms celebrates scoring their second goal with Dwight McNeil on March 30, 2023© Reuters

The Foxes begin the final month of the season with another pivotal fixture against a relegation rival, and they will look to make home advantage count when they welcome Everton to the King Power Stadium on Monday.

After 32 Premier League matches, the two sides can only be separated by goal difference, suggesting that Monday's encounter could be a cagey affair.

Smith will view the fixture as a real opportunity to claim maximum points against an Everton side that are winless in 12 away league games.

With only 24 goals to their name from 32 matches, Everton are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, giving Leicester the opportunity to record their first home clean sheet in the top flight since October.



Fulham (Away) - May 8

Fulham's Andreas Pereira celebrates scoring their second goal with teammate Bobby Decordova-Reid on April 22, 2023© Reuters

In the first of three games against teams that are currently sitting in the top half of the table, Leicester will head to the capital to face Fulham.

After losing five straight matches in all competitions, Marco Silva's side have bounced back in their last two games, claiming consecutive victories over Everton and Leeds.

Although they would have taken confidence from those results, they will have to negotiate a tricky run of fixtures before they play host to Leicester, with the Cottagers set to face Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool in their next three games.

Leicester were unable to get the better of Fulham in the reverse fixture, which resulted in a narrow 1-0 defeat, but they were victorious in their most recent trip to Craven Cottage, picking up a 2-0 victory in February 2021 thanks to first-half efforts from Iheanacho and James Justin.



Liverpool (Home) - May 15

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scores for Leicester City against Liverpool on December 30, 2022© Reuters

While Liverpool have endured a disappointing campaign by their high standards, Jurgen Klopp's side will present Leicester with a tough test.

The top four appears to be out of reach for the Reds, but they are still looking to qualify for European competition.

They have excelled in the final third in recent weeks, racking up 11 goals in their last three games, highlighting the obvious threat that they will pose to the Leicester defence.

After winning their last two home games against Liverpool, the Foxes will be hoping to use the home support to their advantage once again.



Newcastle United (Away) - May 22

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson celebrates scoring their third goal with Jacob Murphy on April 5, 2023© Reuters

On the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, Leicester will travel to the North-East to face a Newcastle side that are on course to finish in the top four.

Smith may be hoping that the Magpies have Champions League qualification sewn up by the time his side arrives at St James' Park, but even if Newcastle have nothing to play for, they will still prove tough to beat in their own backyard, having lost just one of their 16 home league games this season.

Next month's contest will represent the third time that Leicester and the Magpies have faced off this season, with the previous two meetings producing Newcastle victories.

The Foxes were thrashed 3-0 in the reverse fixture before they lost 2-0 at St James' Park in January's quarter-final clash in the EFL Cup.



West Ham United (Home) - May 28

West Ham United's Declan Rice celebrates scoring their third goal on April 20, 2023© Reuters

Leicester will want to have their safety secured by the time that they welcome West Ham United to the King Power Stadium on the final day of the season.

If the Foxes do need a win to stay up then they can take confidence from the 2-0 victory that they recorded in November's meeting at the London Stadium.

However, they have failed to win in two home games against West Ham, losing 3-0 in October 2020 and drawing 2-2 in February last year.

Since winning promotion to the Premier League in 2015, Leicester have found wins hard to come by on the last day of the season, winning the final game on just two occasions in eight seasons (D3, L3).


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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144


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