PREVIEW: Leicester v Southampton

Unavailable: Leicester – James

                      Southampton – Gardoş

The hour’s gone forward. The sun is out. The season is on the final straight. And Southampton are prepped and ready to fight for European football. With the exception of Florin Gardoş, Ronald Koeman has a completely fit squad to face a semi-satisfactory run-in. Half of Saints’ remaining fixtures have to be put in the “fairly tricky” category, but categories have such as these have been lobbed out of the window this season anyway. Form and points count more, and if the Liverpool comeback didn’t inspire the team, then nothing will to be frank.

Such a rousing comeback has not been seen at St Mary’s since Jonathan Forte and Lee Barnard turned MK Dons over in 2011, and wave after wave of Saints pressure shunted the Reds out of the way. Power and pace were the order of the day, and some of the play was riveting. It was direct, and it was effective. Even in the periods where Koeman’s men have picked up during this season, it has not been scintillating stuff beyond a win at Stamford Bridge, but when they smelt blood a fortnight ago, they ravaged Jürgen Klopp’s bright new hopes.

Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mané came off the naughty step with devastating effect, and reminded Saints fans why there was so much hype about them at the start of this season. Although Mané notched two clinical goals, it was Wanyama’s display that was a personal highlight. The sheer amount of second balls that the Kenyan won in midfield gave Saints the platform to camp out in Liverpool’s half, and shove the pendulum over in the home side’s favour. It was also the way that he interacted with Oriol Romeu that proved to be key. In previous times when the two have sat together in that defensive midfield role, they have trampled on each other’s toes, and have failed to discover a suitable level of comprehension. Yet on this occasion, they complemented each other to good effect to let Mané and co terrorise Liverpool’s fragile core.

They will have less luck with Leicester’s back four this Sunday. Claudio Ranieri has engineered a side that is built on a spine where the vertebrae have been unaltered this season for an obvious reason – consistency usually brings success. The Foxes have kept on steamrolling over the various patronising comments to leave them as undoubted favourites to lift the crown. That rigid base is supplemented by the now well-documented talents of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy who have fired them up the table with a mix of sumptuous skill and drive, that renders defences incapable of restraining them.

But Saints have aspirations of their own, and Koeman’s men will never stand on ceremony against “superior” teams. The Dutchman will hope to irk the neutral on Sunday with an unlikely victory at the King Power.

Key Battles

Kanté v S. Davis: It is rare that a manager has enough trust in his central midfield that he doesn’t consider it a risk to only play two men in there, but the high level of performance from Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kanté has been so consistent that it is completely understandable from Claudio Ranieri. Drinkwater is neat and tidy, but Kanté is a different breed of midfielder. He does not just merely safeguard the defence. The Frenchman instigates moves when he has the ball, but patrols the midfield when he does not. Hustling. Harrying. Regaining possession. Then setting his teammates away and driving on. Hovering and alert to whatever danger may be coming. Drinkwater and Kanté have the presence of three midfielders, leaving Ranieri with the ability to play two strikers.

Ronald Koeman rarely uses only two in his engine room, and Steven Davis is likely to be that third man who will look to evade Kanté’s shadow. Ironically, despite probably only being second in the ranking to be the club’s player of the season, he dipped far below his high standards in the comeback against Liverpool – constantly losing possession. Yet an improved showing from the Northern Irishman for his nation in his last two outings should give him the confidence to believe he can overcome Kanté.

Okazaki v Fonte: Shinji Okazaki is often the forgotten man in Ranieri’s attacking options but he has been a key figure in their title push. Able to slot in up top or on the left, he gives balance and versatility to the Foxes, and has an infectious work rate. If Saints commit any errors, he will seize on them, and José Fonte will have to be cautious after his disappointing first-half performance against Liverpool. It is likely that that was due to Koeman’s instructions in the first period though – which saw the Portuguese at left centre-back. The Saints captain simply cannot operate in that position, and Daniel Sturridge ruthlessly exposed the Portuguese’s awkwardness stood to the left of Virgil van Dijk. Back in his natural slot, he will hope to quell the Japanese.

Key Battles

Leicester: Schmeichel – Simpson, Morgan (C), Huth, Fuchs – Mahrez, Kanté, Drinkwater, Albrighton – Okazaki, Vardy

Schwarzer, King, Schlupp, Gray, Ulloa, Wasilewski, Inler

Southampton: Forster – Martina, Fonte (C), Van Dijk, Bertrand – Romeu, Wanyama, S. Davis – Mané, Tadić – Pellè

Stekelenburg, Soares, Yoshida, Clasie, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Austin