MONDAY PREMIER LEAGUE: The Striker previews Monday’s game between LEICESTER CITY v EVERTON with FACTMAN stats and a recommended BETDAQ bet.
LEICESTER V EVERTON
8pm We’re into the final month of the Premier League season on Monday night, and what a fixture we have in store on BETDAQ Betting Exchange! It’s going to be another busy week of Premier League football as we squeeze in games in hand before the Champions League and Europa League Semi-Finals roll around. The stakes couldn’t be any higher for Monday Night Football though as Leicester host Everton with both sides sitting in the relegation zone. With Nottingham Forest winning last week, and Southampton pretty much nailed on to go down, I feel one of these sides will get relegated rather than both of them even allowing for them sitting in the bottom three at the moment.
Obviously the result here will have a big impact which side that is. Leicester will be glad to have home advantage in such a big game, and they come into the game as the clear favourites. They aren’t trading odds on however, Leicester are 2.1 with Everton 4.0 and the draw is 3.55 at the time of writing. From here, both sides have similar run-ins. Leicester have to play Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham. While Everton meet Brighton, Manchester City, Wolves and Bournemouth. Two very difficult games each, and then two games where they could get something. Everton have Brighton and Manchester City in their next two games, and I wouldn’t expect them to get anything there so the pressure is on here for a result.
A draw wouldn’t be the end of the world for Everton, but you have to feel that this fixture comes at a good time for Leicester. They’ve been through a lot, and their performance level didn’t seem to change after Brendan Rodgers left which is usually a bad sign, however they have put in two back-to-back impressive performances now. They created xG figures of 2.94 against Wolves and 2.34 against Leeds. That’s the two highest xG figures of their whole season, and you have to respect that especially when the pressure is on to stay up.
Leicester have struggled at home all season though. They have only managed 15 points from 16 home games – the only side with a worse record than that is Southampton who are nailed to the bottom of the table. You wouldn’t say Everton away from home is a positive either however – they have only recorded ten points from 16 away games – that puts them in the bottom three on away form. What we have here is two pretty limited sides, but I feel the big difference is the timing of this fixture.
Leicester have come to life over the last week. Their xG figures highlight that, they seem to have more energy. They have the talent in their squad when they fancy here, and clearly now they need wins. They are delivering in that respect. Everton had a big boost when Sean Dyche took over, but that has fallen over the past few weeks. They were hammered by Newcastle, and created a very low xG figure away to Crystal Palace. I won’t be going mad with the stakes because neither side are a side to fully trust this season, but Leicester arrive into the game in great form and that can carry them to a win. The 2.1 is worth backing.
The Striker Says:
Two points win Leicester to beat Everton at 2.1 with BETDAQ BETTING EXCHANGE.
You can view all markets here -> https://betdaq.biz/LeiEvr
FACTMAN MATCH STATS
● Following their 2-0 win at Goodison Park in November, Leicester are looking to complete the Premier League double over Everton for just the second time, previously doing so in their 2015-16 title winning campaign.
● Everton have won their last two Premier League away games against Leicester – they’ve never won three consecutive visits to the Foxes in their league history.
● After 13 of the first 18 Premier League meetings between Everton (4 wins) and Leicester (1) ended level (72%), just two of the subsequent 15 between the sides has been drawn (13% – 7 Everton wins to Leicester’s 6).
● Leicester have alternated between victory (2) and defeat (2) in their last four Premier League games played on Mondays, losing 3-0 at home to Newcastle in their most recent such match in December.
● Everton have lost four of their last five Premier League away games played on Mondays (D1), failing to score on four occasions in that run.
● Leicester came from behind to beat Wolves in their last Premier League home game, last winning consecutive league matches at the King Power Stadium in May last season.
● Leicester have conceded in each of their last 18 Premier League games, their joint-longest run without a clean sheet in the competition. They last had a longer run without a league shutout between April and December 1994, a run of 21 which included their first 18 Premier League matches.
● Everton are winless in their last 12 Premier League away games (D5 L7), failing to score on nine separate occasions in that run. Since beating Brighton 2-0 in August 2021, they’ve won just two of their last 33 away league games (D10 L21), with all three of their clean sheets in that run coming in 0-0 draws.
● Leicester manager Dean Smith has won four and lost none of his six Premier League meetings with Everton, winning three of his four at home against the Toffees. Only Antonio Conte (7) has faced Everton more without ever losing to them as a manager in the competition.
● Jamie Vardy scored his first goal in 20 Premier League appearances last time out at Leeds, last scoring in back-to-back Premier League games for Leicester in May 2022. Since scoring six goals in his first nine Premier League matches versus Everton, Vardy has scored none in his last four against the Toffees.
