Leicester City vs Sunderland. Premier League.
The King Power StadiumAttendance31,757.
Tuesday 4 April 2017 20:07, UK
David Moyes will make a late decision on the fitness of Jermain Defoe as Sunderland travel to in-form Leicester in the Premier League on Tuesday.
The Black Cats' leading scorer did not train on Sunday after taking a knock to the knee during the weekend defeat to Watford, and is likely to be given every chance to prove he is able to play.
He will certainly be needed as David Moyes' men remain rooted to the foot of the table - eight points from safety - and come up against a Foxes side who are in a superb run of form.
They are yet to lose under Craig Shakespeare, who became the first English manager in Premier League history to win their first four games in the league after beating Stoke on Saturday and has seen Leicester move six points clear of the drop zone.
The Foxes have also never lost a home top flight match against Sunderland, winning four and drawing two of the six meetings, although the Black Cats have won two of their last four visits to the King Power Stadium, with the victories coming in the Championship.
Along with the knock to Defoe, fellow striker Victor Anichebe is also still feeling some pain in his knee as he bids to return from a lengthy lay-off.
Lee Cattermole was an unused substitute at Vicarage Road after recovering from a long-standing hip cartilage problem, but Steven Pienaar (calf) and Jan Kirchhoff, Paddy McNair and Duncan Watmore (all knee) are still out.
Leicester look like having an unchanged squad, meaning Wes Morgan will remain out with his back injury along with Nampalys Mendy, who is still nursing a knee problem.
On-loan defender Molla Wague is also out for the season with a dislocated shoulder.
Jamie Vardy has scored three Premier League goals against Sunderland - only against Liverpool (5) has he scored more in the competition (also 3 vs Arsenal, Man City and Stoke).
Vardy has scored in three of his last four Premier League games (four goals) having scored in just three of the 23 games prior to this run.
Jermain Defoe has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against Leicester.
Defoe has scored five penalties for Sunderland in the Premier League this season, with only Kevin Phillips in 1999/2000 (6) scoring more in a single season. Those five penalties have accounted for 21 per cent of Sunderland's 24 Premier League goals - only Crystal Palace in 2004/05 had a higher share of their goals scored by penalties (27 per cent, 11 of 41) in a season.
Craig Shakespeare is the first English manager to win his first four Premier League games - only two managers in the competition's history have ever won more than their opening four, with Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola both winning their opening six games.
Leicester have scored 11 goals in their four league games under Shakespeare, as many goals as they scored in their last 14 Premier League games under Claudio Ranieri.
The Black Cats have failed to score in their last five Premier League games, with only opponents Leicester having gone on a longer run this season (a run of six). Sunderland last went six top-flight games without scoring between September and October 1981 (a run of eight).
You can't stop them now! I'm going for Leicester to beat Sunderland. I was really disappointed in Sunderland on Saturday, it was a game they really had to win.
David Moyes was saying they have to win five games, and surely that was one of them. Leicester are flying; Stoke had some chances at the end on Saturday, but I fancy Leicester here.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
Leicester are the odds-on favourites at 1/2 with Sky Bet to claim their sixth win in a row since Craig Shakespeare replaced Claudio Ranieri as manager. Sunderland are the opponents for the Foxes and the bottom-of-the-table Black Cats are big outsiders at 11/2 to secure the three points.
David Moyes' side haven't scored in their last five outings so the 11/8 for Leicester to bag the victory without conceding must make some appeal. Sky Bet's Correct Scorer Group Betting also offers 6/4 for the Foxes to win 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1. The draw is available at 16/5.
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