We are nearing the return of normality for football fans with promises of capacity crowds at games in the upcoming season. The Scottish Premiership begins this weekend when Rangers kick-off the defence of their title at home to Livingston in front of thousands. There’s also EFL action to look forward to with the curtain coming up on the Championship, League One and League Two. This is excellent news for football fans in the UK. With a list of games scheduled to be shown live on television, it’ll please armchair fans who have spent the last few weeks following international competitions, including Euro 2020 and Tokyo 2020.
The only division in Britain not to host games is the English Premier League, but there is an interest for those with a passion for the top tier of UK football. The 2021 Community Shield comes from Wembley Stadium, and there will be a full house in attendance as Manchester City face off against Leicester City. That clash is set for a 17:15 start time and will be shown live on television to a worldwide audience. Which side will come out on top and bag a trophy before the season gets going?
These Premier League rivals met twice last season, with each team grabbing a win. The Foxes scored a stunning 5-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium almost a year ago before Man City levelled the score with a 2-0 win at the King Power. The head-to-head stats make for interesting reading with Man City on 60 wins against the,e 31 of Leicester and 31 draws. Neutrals hope to see a competitive, high-scoring match and the possibility of another penalty shootout at Wembley is there.
Foxes suffer another near miss
It was another season of so close yet so far for Leicester as they missed out on the top-four in the closing stages. That was the second campaign on the bounce where the team held a Champions League spot for much of the year, only to see it slip through their grasp in the closing games. A strong start and decent winter were followed by an unconvincing finish and that’s something manager Brendan Rodgers must fix if Leicester is to return to the top table of UEFA competition. Instead, the team now prepares for another difficult campaign spent juggling Premier League and Europa League games.
Rodgers knew he’d face a summer spent fighting off interest in his best players, but he has been able to do just that, at least so far. The days of Leicester selling their top names on the cheap are long gone, and the club now understands the value of the top names in their squad and demands that any interested party pays the full price. The coaching staff have also been seeking out reinforcements, and recent experience tells them they need a big player pool to handle playing Thursday, Sunday.
Fans hope to see the Foxes pick up where they left off and challenge for the Champions League slots, but there’s no need for league success to come at the expense of a run in Europe. If they take their games on the continent seriously, there’s no reason why they can’t go all the way, win the trophy and secure a way into the Champions League next September.
More success is expected for Man City
Manchester City lost their Premier League title to Liverpool this time last year, but the trophy was only on loan at Anfield. They may have missed the chance to win three titles on the bounce, but they did respond. All eyes were on Pep Guardiola’s men to see how they would respond to losing their place at the top of English football. Would they roll over and allow Liverpool to enjoy a period of dominance? Not many expected that approach, even the most loyal of Liverpool supporters.
What Man City did instead was dust themselves down and get right back to action. The quick turnaround in leagues helped their cause and allowed them to wipe the slate clean, regroup and come again. They began last season a week later than most teams, so were always playing catch-up in the opening few months. Once Man City hit the front, there was no stopping them, and they raced away with the title, keeping nearest rivals Manchester United in second despite a late rally from the Red Devils.
The team are now early favourites with the most respected pundits to successfully defend their title and make it two in a row. They have strengthened in pre-season, spent more millions and attracted several of the biggest names in the game. The board dreams of winning the Champions League and are willing to keep throwing money at that problem. A big showing in this match will get fans excited for the coming season.
Leicester v Man City prediction
This will be a fascinating game and a shoot-out for the trophy. There aren’t any Premier League points at stake, but it’s certainly not a friendly. Both managers will send out strong teams but are likely to make changes during the second 45 to give the squad game time and keep their best players sharp for next week.
Man City are the favourites to win in 90 minutes, and they certainly have the players good enough to make that happen. The Cityzens will get nothing for free against Leicester, and they know that. This is an opportunity for the Foxes to show they are genuine contenders for the top four this term.
Community Shield odds
The pre-match betting odds available at 22bet on this game has Leicester City priced at 3.48 for the win while backers of Manchester City can get 1.99. The draw has been chalked up as a 3.78 option for backers who can’t split the pair.
As well as the match-winner market there are also lots of specials. These include both teams to score, total goals, handicap, first goalscorer, correct score, bookings and more.
Want to know more about the betting odds for the game? Check out the BTTS, Handicap, Teams to Win and other markets and bet on Leicester v Man City on 22Bet!
