Match Preview: Leicester City v Sunderland - All you need to know ahead of kick-off!

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Tuesday 24th October 2023

(1st) Leicester City v Sunderland (6th)

Championship

King Power Stadium

Kick-Off: 20:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are sold out.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via Sky Sports and www.safc.com.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

Last season, Sunderland didn’t lose in successive league games twice until late-February, but defeat at the weekend at Stoke means we have reached that milestone a fair bit quicker this term.

It was also during the run that began in February and rolled over into March that Mowbray’s side lost three successive games last season - which was the only occasion this happened - and defeat tonight would also result in matching this much quicker than we did last time around.

Having said this, we’re still occupying a play-off position while at the same time knowing we can improve. With the Championship being as tight as usual - with six points separating Leeds United in 3rd and Blackburn Rovers in 15th - there’s still plenty of twists and turns to come this season.

In terms of our record at the King Power Stadium, our first appearance in November 2004 ended in a 1-0 victory with Steve Caldwell scoring the winner for Mick McCarthy’s side and our record overall reads two wins and two defeats in five games.

Tonight’s game has echoes of last season’s trip to Burnley and a similar outcome would be seen as something of an upset for most neutral observers.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Leicester City seemed like they were in a real mess last season, with Dean Smith ultimately failing to keep them in the Premier League after taking over from Brendan Rodgers in April.

In these situations, things can sometimes spiral out of control, as we’re only well aware, but Leicester have looked to have got their ship in order very quickly.

The appointment of Enzo Maresca (those of you as old as me might remember him at West Bromwich Albion on Championship Manager at the end of the last century), looks like it could be a masterstroke.

Plucked from the staff of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, where he was one of many assistants, the Italian has got off to a flying start at the King Power Stadium. Eleven wins from the first twelve means Leicester now boast the best start to the season since the division was renamed the Championship back in 2004.

The only defeat came on home soil against Hull City, where the stats suggest they were unlucky to come away with nothing from the game. In the six home games in the league so far, they have only conceded three goals. It could be a long night in the East Midlands.

Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

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Sunderland away form...

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Leicester City home form...

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The betting...

The bookies have a home win as clear favourite at 1/2, while a victory for the Lads is priced at around 5/1 and the draw is 16/5.

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Head to head... at Leicester

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 12
• Draws: 8
• Leicester City wins: 24
• Sunderland goals: 50
• Leicester goals: 79

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Last time we met... at the King Power Stadium

Tuesday 4th April 2017

Premier League

Leicester City 2-0 Sunderland

[Slimani 69’, Vardy 78’]

Sunderland: Pickford, Jones, Kone, Denayer, Oviedo, Larsson (Khazri), Cattermole (Anichebe), Rodwell (Gibson), Ndong, Borini, Defoe Substitutes not used: Mannone, Manquillo, Djilobodji, Januzaj

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Fuchs, Drinkwater, Benalouane, Huth, Mahrez, Ndidi (King), Vardy, Okazaki (Slimani), Gray (Albrighton) Substitutes not used: Zieler, Chilwell, Amartey, Ulloa

Attendance: 31,757

Photo by Stephen White - CameraSport via Getty Images

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Played for both...

Jonny Evans

Despite coming through the ranks at Manchester United, Evans made his professional debut while out on loan to Royal Antwerp in Belgium before he first joined Sunderland in December 2006.

After helping Roy Keane’s side to promotion to the Premier League, Evans returned again the following season to play a part in Sunderland retaining our top flight status. On returning to Old Trafford, Evans became a regular member of the first team squad until he moved to West Bromwich Albion in 2015.

After three years in the West Midlands, the Northern Ireland international moved to the East Midlands with a move to Leicester City, where he spent five years before returning to Manchester United in the summer.

Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images

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