We simulated Leicester City vs Man City to get a score prediction and got a five-goal thriller
Manchester City face Leicester in the Premier League's early kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester City have the chance to go top of the Premier League when they face Leicester City on Saturday.
It may only be for a day, depending on the Arsenal result, but after Man City's 3-1 win over Brighton last weekend and Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Southampton, the gap was closed to just two points at the top. City go into this game following a 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund, confirming top spot in their Champions League group.
Erling Haaland reached 17 league goals for the season as he netted twice against Brighton, but doubt has been cast over his involvement on Saturday after Pep Guardiola delivered a concerning fitness update on the striker. After Leicester’s poor start to the season, the Foxes head into this one with three wins and a draw in their last five games.
READ MORE: Seven Man City youngsters who deserve call-ups next week for Champions League dead rubber
Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips both remain out for the clash against Leicester, whilst it remains uncertain whether Haaland will join the duo on the sidelines.
So, can City go top of the league this weekend? We simulated their clash with Leicester to find out.
Leicester City vs Man City simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that the Foxes could line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Faes, Justin; Soumare; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Vardy.
We predict that City could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Foden, Haaland, Grealish.
Leicester took a surprise lead against City, with the hosts going ahead four minutes in when Jamie Vardy bundled home from close range. But with City's attacking power, you can never rule out a swift response as Haaland levelled the scores moments later.
Bernardo Silva won back possession just inside the Leicester half and spotted the run of Haaland. His through ball was a little overhit, but the Norwegian striker used his incredible speed to beat the defender to the ball and power past Danny Ward at his near post.
After drawing level, City took complete control of the game, with Haaland and Phil Foden both coming close in the minutes after. Just 12 minutes after going behind, City found themselves ahead as Kevin De Bruyne fired home.
Joao Cancelo fizzed a pass into the feet of Foden from the left, and a clever flick from the forward played De Bruyne through on goal. As the midfielder broke into the box he struck his shot early, and a wicked deflection off the heel of Wout Faes saw the ball end up in the far corner.
A long-range shot from Ruben Dias rattled the crossbar towards the end of the half as City entered the break with the lead. Guardiola's side continued to dominate the game, and City opened up a two-goal cushion just after the restart as Haaland notched his second of the afternoon.
As Leicester's defence pushed up to the halfway line, the Foxes were dispossessed in midfield, allowing De Bruyne to send a long ball forward to Haaland. A couple of strides later and the striker fled the backtracking Leicester defence before beating Ward at his front post again to make it 3-1.
Leicester pulled a goal back in the 84th minute when Daniel Amartey flicked a header into the net from a corner, but the hosts couldn't find an equaliser as City saw out the victory.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Leicester City 2-3 Man City
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that Haaland could star again for City, scoring twice in the simulation to help his side win 3-2. At the time of writing the striker is touch-and-go to play on Saturday, so if the game is anything like the sim, City fans will be desperate for the Norwegian to play.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
READ NEXT: