Sabasports Match Preview
Premier League: Leicester City vs Brentford
Kickoff Time: 2025-02-22 04:00 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/TONY O BRIEN
Leicester City suffered a 0-2 home defeat to Arsenal in their last match, marking their third consecutive loss in all competitions. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who found success at Manchester United, has seen his reputation fall apart since joining Leicester City. Currently, both the squad’s shortcomings and his coaching abilities are difficult to assess. Van Nistelrooy’s tactical approach is quite monotonous and lacks variation, with the team’s possession play and counter-attacking speed and precision at the bottom of the Premier League level. The high-intensity clashes and multi-layered fast pace of the Premier League have clearly posed a huge challenge for Van Nistelrooy and his team. It seems that Van Nistelrooy has not managed to find a way to reshape the team, as their possession play lacks speed and compatibility, while the defense has lost its necessary discipline.
Brentford, on the other hand, achieved a 1-0 away victory against West Ham United in their last match, managing two wins and three losses in a tough recent schedule over the last five games, which is a decent performance. Brentford emphasizes defensive counter-attacks, adept at creating threats through quick transitions and wing breakthroughs. Their wingers possess excellent dribbling and crossing abilities, while the midfielders focus on organizing play and creating scoring opportunities for the forwards. Players often connect through simple skillful short passes, producing brilliant team combinations in the attacking third. Furthermore, Brentford’s set pieces are very aggressive, and their diverse attacking methods often catch opponents off guard. Notably, Brentford has performed exceptionally well in recent away games, remaining unbeaten in their last four away matches with three wins and one draw.
In terms of overall strength and league ranking, Brentford is clearly superior to Leicester City. Moreover, in their first encounter, Brentford convincingly defeated Leicester City 4-1 at home. As they meet again, Brentford holds a psychological advantage. Overall, it would be reasonable to expect Brentford to achieve another victory over their opponent.
Leicester City’s Last 5 Games: LLLWL
25-02-15 Leicester City 0-2 Arsenal
25-02-08 Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City
25-02-01 Everton 4-0 Leicester City
25-01-16 Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Leicester City
25-01-18 Leicester City 0-2 Fulham
Brentford’s Last 5 Games: WLWLD
25-02-15 West Ham United 0-1 Brentford
25-02-02 Brentford 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
25-01-26 Crystal Palace 1-2 Brentford
25-01-18 Brentford 0-2 Liverpool
25-01-15 Brentford 2-2 Manchester City
Head To Head Record:
24-11-30 Brentford 4-1 Leicester City
23-03-18 Brentford 1-1 Leicester City
22-08-07 Leicester City 2-2 Brentford
22-03-20 Leicester City 2-1 Brentford
21-10-24 Brentford 1-2 Leicester City
Prediction: Brentford to win