Wilfred Ndidi Guns For 70th EPL Win, 3rd Vs Man City
Kelechi Iheanacho Targets First EPL Goal In 83 days
Nigerian midfield maestro Wilfred Ndidi will Sunday evening be gunning for his 70th win in the Premier League in his 159th appearance since he joined the Foxes from Belgian side RC Genk in January 2017.
Ndidi visits the Etihad stadium this evening with Leicester City to face reigning champions and league leaders Manchester City in a Boxing Day fixture.
The 25 year old has won 69 of the 158 games he has featured in so far this season and will be hoping to reach that 70th milestone in a fixture he has won just twice in 10 appearances in all competitions.
A win at the Etihad today will be Ndidi’s third win against Pep Guardiola’s side while a draw will be the first ever in a fixture featuring the Nigerian midfielder.
Ndidi will also be making his 13 Premier League appearance and 20th in all competitions this season for the Foxes if he features today.
If he starts, it will be his 13th straight start this season and will likely be played as a central defender, a position he has been used by gaffer Brendan Rodgers since injury depleted his backline.
Kelechi Iheanacho
While Ndidi will be gunning for his 70th win, his Super Eagles compatriot at the King Power outfit, Kelechi Iheanacho will be aiming for his 58th in 155 games.
The 25 year old Iheanacho will however be concerned about his return in front of goals after scoring just once in 12 appearances so far this season.
In fact the former Manchester City player has not scored since he netted in the 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace early October and a goal for him will be the needed boost ahead of Nigeria’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
If he scores, it will be his first in the Premier League against his former club after scoring the only goal in the Community Shield win last August. It will also be his 35th since he made his Premier League debut in August 2015.
Like Ndidi, Iheanacho has featured in 10 games across all competitions against their host and has lost eight and won just twice with no draw. Six of the eight losses came in the Premier League.
Both players have been included in Nigeria’s 28-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations which starts early January 2022.
