Leicester City were rolled over in a 5-2 defeat to a Manchester United side in transition during midweek in the EFL Cup, but Steve Cooper believes it’s all par for the course for his side.
It came off the back of a disappointing 3-1 derby defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend. While it was a heavily rotated squad that lined up in Manchester, such a resounding defeat cannot help confidence ahead of their fixture against fellow promoted side, Ipswich Town.
But Cooper can look back on previous form and feel some comfort in his side’s ability to come back, particularly against those teams familiar with the Championship.
The last time the East Midlands outfit travelled away from home in the Premier League, they found themselves 2-0 down to Southampton at half-time but delivered a miraculous second-half performance to win 3-2. For Cooper, such changing fortunes are to be expected.
“The Forest and Southampton game, they are probably great examples of what will come in future this season,” he said following the defeat to Forest.
“We will have games where we get really good results and the world feels like a brilliant place and we’ll get the opposite like we had at Forest.”
“That’s the nature of the league that we’re playing in and where we’re at. What we’ve got to do is make sure that we stay on task and stay on track, which we are doing. We never want to accept defeat too easily, but make sure that it doesn’t deter us from the journey that we’re on.”
“That journey will be full of ups and downs, there’s no doubt about that.”
Leicester currently sit fifteenth on nine points, ahead of Ipswich, who are without a win so far this season and currently languishing in the relegation zone on four points.
But Cooper will hope the “ups” return soon as failing to register a result against fellow potential relegation candidates could prove costly further down the line.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich Town – Liam Delap
Delap has scored 56% of Ipswich’s Premier League goals this season (5/9) – only Chris Wood has netted a higher share of his team’s goals so far this term (64% for Nottingham Forest).
He is Ipswich’s biggest threat having taken more shots (13) and shots on target (eight) than any other player in the squad.
Leicester City – Jamie Vardy
The Foxes veteran is in a rich vein of form. He’s scored in his last two games, and aged 37 years and 296 days on the day of this game would be the oldest player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances with a goal here.
He is Leicester’s top scorer this season with four goals in nine Premier League games. It is one more than he managed in 37 appearances in his last top-flight campaign of 2022-23.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Both times the newly-promoted sides faced each other in the Championship last season, the outcome was a 1-1 draw.
Ipswich have won all three of their previous Premier League home games against Leicester – 4-1 in January 1995, 2-0 in January 2001 and 2-0 in December 2001.
However, in the last nine meetings between the two sides, Leicester have lost just one (W5 D3).
A comeback could be on the cards if the Foxes are to win at the weekend. In their last Premier League away game, Leicester City came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against fellow promoted opposition, Southampton.
It ended a run of 11 top-flight away games without a win for the Foxes, last winning consecutive such matches in November 2022 (a run of three).
Ipswich have dropped 10 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Brentford (11) dropping more. Indeed, the Tractor Boys let a two-goal lead slip to lose 4-3 in their last match.
But a win is overdue for the hosts, who remain winless in their nine league games so far this season – in their league history, only in 2009-10 (first 14) and 2018-19 (first 11) have they had a longer winless run from the start of a campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich Town – 42.8%
Leicester City – 32.1%
Draw – 25.1%
'I don't see myself as the best', says Yashin Trophy winner Martinez
Emiliano Martinez was humble as he accepted the Yashin Trophy for the second straight year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.
Martinez, who played a key role in Aston Villa's Champions League qualification last term before helping Argentina retain the Copa America title.
The former Arsenal goalkeeper won the Yashin Award in 2023, having been integral to Argentina's 2022 World Cup success, and he kept hold of the prize dished out to the best goalkeeper at the ceremony in Paris.
"I don’t see myself as the best – there are so many good goalies I see week in, week out," Martinez said upon accepting the award.
"I only care about group titles with the national team, with Aston Villa. I focus on myself and my goalie coaches know the work I put in every day.
"For me, it's about improving myself."
Martinez and Villa have made an impressive start to the campaign. They are top of the Champions League with three wins from as many matches, and occupy fourth spot in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham.
"It's huge for me," Martinez continued.
"I always dreamed of playing one game for the national team. Coming from such a young lad to England and trying to work my way up to succeed at Aston Villa and with the national team, winning one [cap] was an honour.
"Back-to-back [Yashin Trophies] is something I never expected. I'm just proud to be here today. All thanks go to my family and friends.
"We’re doing something amazing in the club, we're moving forward. We've won back-to-back trophies with the national team and that’s all I care about."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham - Son Heung-min
Son, who missed Spurs' defeat to Crystal Palace last week, has been involved in nine goals in eight Premier League games against Villa (six goals, three assists), though all six of his goals against them have come at Villa Park. No player has scored more against an opponent without netting a home goal in the competition.
Aston Villa - Emiliano Martinez
Fresh from winning the Yashin Trophy for a second time, Martinez will no doubt be out to prove his credentials as the best in the world.
Keeping a clean sheet and helping Unai Emery's team to victory would be a good start.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Spurs have lost two of their last three league matches, but Opta's supercomputer backs them to come out on top on Sunday.
Tottenham have scored 49 goals in 23 home Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou. The only boss to hit 50 goals in 24 or fewer home games with Spurs is Antonio Conte (50 in his first 20).
Only two of Tottenham's last 71 home Premier League games have ended as a draw (W47 L22) and they are the only side without a home draw since the start of last season (W16 L7).
Just Liverpool (13) and Nottingham Forest (11) have won more away Premier League points this season than Villa (10 – W3 D1). Villa have only won as many as four of their opening five away league games in a season once before, doing so in 2020-21 (W4 L1).
Tottenham have lost three of their last four Premier League meetings with Villa, though did win the last such match 4-0 in March, so while Opta's model fancies Spurs' chances, Villa will certainly be no pushovers.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham - 49.5%
Aston Villa - 27.6%
Draw - 22.9%
Arteta: It's up to Nwaneri how quickly he becomes a first-team regular
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that it is up to young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri to dictate how quickly he will become a regular in their first team.
That was after the 17-year-old midfielder played a starring role in his side's 3-0 victory away to Preston North End in the last 16 of the EFL Cup, curling in a wonderful effort for the second.
Nwaneri scored his first senior goals with a brace in the 5-1 win over League One Bolton in the previous round and looked in great shape again on Wednesday.
"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude and he's got the right players and context around him," Arteta told BBC Sport.
"We need to make sure that we build brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there."
Nwaneri has already made four substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, having come off the bench against Tottenham, Leicester, Bournemouth and Liverpool.
In September 2022, meanwhile, he became the youngest player in history to feature in the Premier League after coming off the bench against Brentford at just 15 years and 181 days.
According to his manager, the pace of his further development will be down to him.
"He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really happy with him," Arteta added.
"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen.
"He's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of.
“You see his team-mates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that's a great sign. So we have some player there."
Guardiola suffering without De Bruyne ahead of Bournemouth visit
Pep Guardiola conceded Kevin De Bruyne will not feature before the November international break as Manchester City prepare to visit Bournemouth on Saturday.
De Bruyne has not played since mid-September when he was removed against Inter in the Champions League, with a thigh issue his latest injury setback.
The Belgium captain also spent a four-month spell on the sidelines last campaign, and Guardiola revealed bad news on De Bruyne's recovery before Wednesday's disappointing 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup fourth round.
"I would like to tell you [when he can return], I especially would like to know, but I don't know," said Guardiola.
"He feels better to train, but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain. Kevin has to feel good to express the huge talent that he has.
"If he doesn't come back as quickly as possible, we will struggle because we cannot sustain it with 14 or 15 players, but it is what it is.
"We need players to come back but it is what it is. Hopefully that can happen after the international break."
City sit a point clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table after their narrow 1-0 win over Southampton, while Bournemouth are 11th after their last-gasp leveller for a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola will be expecting a tough test at the Vitality Stadium, though suggested no one can match Villa's left-hand side – not even City.
"I made one sub in the first half for the first time in my career but I have to assume the responsibility because I put Julian [Araujo] in the most difficult game for a right-back that you can find in the Premier League," Iraola said.
"Everyone knows what they’re going to do, but it’s very difficult to defend. The timing and the way they turn the players in the middle, we need to be better in the decision making [going forward]."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
Antoine Semenyo has been involved in more Premier League shots following a ball carry than any other player this term (20 – 12 shots, eight chances created).
The Bournemouth midfielder also has three goals and an assist to his name this season in the competition, a tally he will hope to add to on Saturday.
Manchester City – Phil Foden
Talisman Erling Haaland only has one goal in four league matches against Bournemouth, so Phil Foden may be expected to step up here.
Foden has scored in each of his last five appearances against Bournemouth in all competitions (five goals), also providing three assists in these games.
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Guardiola's side are the heavy favourites for this clash, considering they have won all 14 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth.
City have outscored the Cherries 45-7 across their winning run, which is the best 100% record any team has against another in English top-flight history.
Overall, Bournemouth have won none of their 20 league games against Man City (D2 L18), too – it is the most one side has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.
The Cherries have also lost all 11 of their Premier League games against sides starting the day top of the table, the worst 100% such loss rate in the competition’s history.
Given City are unbeaten in 28 Premier League games in 2024 as well, a feat bettered by only two sides in England's top-flight history, it is hard to imagine anything other than an away win here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth win – 19.8%
Draw – 22.2%
Manchester City win – 57.9%
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