Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United must get back to where they belong under Ruben Amorim, having returned to winning ways against Leicester City in the Premier League.

The United captain marked his 250th appearance for the club with a goal and an assist in their 3-0 victory, also forcing Victor Kristiansen into an own goal in the first half.

He has now been directly involved in 100 goals in 170 appearances for United in the Premier League, reaching this milestone with just one more appearance than Cristiano Ronaldo (169) did.

Having gone unbeaten in their four games in all competitions under interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy after Erik ten Hag's departure last month, United are now preparing for the arrival of new boss Amorim on Monday.

Fernandes was happy to help Van Nistelrooy sign off with a win and is hopeful that United can kick on under their new coach.

"It was a long time that I wasn't scoring and now goals are coming in the last few games," Fernandes said.

"Another clean sheet was important for us to bring back the fortress we had here. We have to keep doing that and we have to improve.

"Ruud van Nistelrooy fills the club, he loves the club, he wants to bring joy to the players. He brought everyone with a smile to the games, he just wanted us to enjoy it. We wanted to say goodbye as a manager for him properly because he did good things for us.

"It's a new era, a new manager means everything changes, but what hasn't changed is that this club has to get back to where it belongs."

Leicester failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time this season, despite an improved second-half performance.

This defeat means they have won just two of their 11 league matches this season (D4 L5), only having fewer wins at this stage of a single Premier League campaign on one occasion (one in 2001-02).

They had a big chance in either half, with Andre Onana making fine stops to keep out Wilfried Ndidi and Jordan Ayew as Leicester struggled to show their usual attacking threat in Jamie Vardy's absence.

But Steve Cooper was not using that as an excuse for their performance on Sunday.

"The result will paint the picture but, in the end, we didn't show enough desire in either penalty area. We let two unopposed shots from outside the area for the goals," Cooper said.

"Two of the goals have come from our corners as well, which is frustrating. It wasn't a dangerous position, but we made it dangerous. At the other end, we got into good areas but didn't show that same desire.

"Our general play was fine but, in the end, we didn't have the purpose. We had good spells, we were in the game, it didn't feel like they were going to score the next goal.

"We can't just say we missed Jamie Vardy; we can't be reliant on that."

Ruud van Nistelrooy has challenged Manchester United to be ruthless, with the interim boss saying Old Trafford has less of a fear factor after their recent results.

Van Nistelrooy led the Red Devils to a 2-0 win against PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday and remains unbeaten in his time as Erik ten Hag’s temporary successor before Ruben Amorim’s arrival next week.

All three of his games in charge have come at the Theatre of Dreams, which culminates with another home fixture against Leicester City in the Premier League, a side he has already beaten in the EFL Cup at the end of last month.

United have picked up just seven points from their five home league games this season, with only seven teams winning less, something Van Nistelrooy says must improve.

"That's something that is important to change," he told TNT Sports. "Home games at Old Trafford were basically hardly won [by the visitors].

"As I said, the reason why I'm here is to get United back to that point. It's hard work, it needs to be done, but, of course, it is a chance to get a home win after a long time."

"I don't know. I think less because of the results that more teams got at Old Trafford, that means something. How teams are coming and playing here, so again that's something you have to build again.”

Leicester, meanwhile, come into the encounter at Old Trafford after snatching a point late on against 10-man Ipswich Town, with Jordan Ayew netting in the second half stoppage time.

The Foxes are without a win in three games in all competitions since back-to-back victories against Bournemouth and Southampton in the Premier League in October.

While head coach Steve Cooper was happy his side were able to add another point to their league total, he said he left Portman Road with mixed feelings after reflecting on the encounter.

“A point away from home in the Premier League is never anything to be too despondent about. It will feel like a win scoring late, but I think we'll feel better about the result than what Ipswich will,” Cooper said.

“It's miles a better result than it is for Ipswich, but we think of ourselves, we think internally we shouldn't be satisfied with just the point. There should be some disappointment and frustration there, but we also know that we worked really hard in the end to get something out of the game.

“We started really strong, finished really strong, but bits in between were a little bit too up and down for my liking, so it’s mixed feelings, but we keep ticking over, and we move on now.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes has been involved in eight goals in seven starts against Leicester in all competitions (four goals, four assists), netting twice against the Foxes in last month’s EFL Cup meeting.

He has also created more chances (15) than any of his United team-mates in the Premier League this term, with his creative edge needed to unlock the Leicester defence.

Leicester City – Jordan Ayew

Only Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran (four) has scored more goals as a substitute in the Premier League this season than Ayew (two).

Both of the Ghanaian’s strikes have come in his last two away games, and both in second half stoppage time (winner against Southampton, equaliser against Ipswich).

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.

The Red Devils have also scored in each of their last 28 top-flight games against Leicester, since a 1-0 loss in January 1998. In their Premier League history, only against Arsenal have they ever had a longer scoring streak (30 between 1953 and 1968).

United have won 16 of their last 18 Premier League games against promoted sides (D2), since a 1-4 loss to Watford in November 2021, and will be hopeful of continuing to get their season back on track.

Their 12 points this season is the club’s lowest return after 10 top-flight games in a season since 1986-87 (eight), while their nine goals scored is their lowest at this stage since 1973-74 (also nine).

Leicester, meanwhile, have won just one of their last 14 Premier League away games against United (D3 L10), picking up a 2-1 victory in May 2021.

But the Foxes are one of two teams – along with Man City – to have scored in all 10 of their Premier League games so far this season. Only in 2018-19 (first 11) and their 2015-16 title winning campaign (17) have they had a longer streak from the start of a season in the competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United – 65.1%

Draw – 18.8%

Leicester City – 16.1%

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%

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood is not aiming to rival the "formidable" Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot after netting a brace against Leicester City. 

Wood took his tally to seven for the season with two second-half goals in Forest's 3-1 win over rivals Leicester, after Ryan Yates saw his opener cancelled out by Jamie Vardy.

The 32-year-old's double saw him move level with Stan Collymore on 22 Premier League goals for Forest, with only Bryan Roy (24) scoring more for the club in the competition.

Only Manchester City's Haaland (10) has scored more times than Wood this term, though the New Zealander was not getting carried away with his fine start to the campaign.

"I just want to keep scoring as many as I can. He's [Haaland] a very formidable man, and he's probably going to score 30 goals this season," Wood said.

"He's a very formidable man to chase. He's {Nuno Espirito Santo] come in and put an emphasis on putting the ball in the box. He's worked on that in the training pitch."

It's been a remarkable turnaround for Wood, who has flourished under Nuno Espirito Santo since his arrival at the City Ground.

Since Nuno's first game in charge of Forest in December 2023, only Haaland (18) has scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Wood (17).

"It's consistency with what Nuno's been working on. We got better and better last season but we also conceded poor goals at times," Wood continued.

"I think consistency is the biggest thing. I wouldn't say it fuelled us, we conceded a lot of set-piece goals and we worked at that and we've got to keep going."

Nuno also sung the praises of his in-form forward, saying Wood deserves all the praise he is receiving at the moment. 

"He's done an amazing job. He's very honest and he gives everything on the pitch for us. We are delighted and we want to continue. Chris deserves his plaudits," Nuno said. 

For Leicester, meanwhile, it marked a tough encounter for Steve Cooper, who was facing his former side for the first time since leaving the club almost a year ago. 

Coming into the game on the back of consecutive wins, the Foxes' defensive lapses were ruthlessly punished by Forest. 

James Justin's poor clearance allowed Yates to open the scoring, before Harry Winks' poor pass and Wout Faes' mistimed header were gobbled up by Wood. 

“It's self-inflicted, no doubt about that, and it's on us. We all have to take responsibility for how the game panned out," Cooper said.

"We made poor mistakes for the goals, no doubt about it, and we were punished for it but I just think conceding so early on in the second half was obviously not a good thing.

"We have to take responsibility for it. It's a setback after winning a few games coming into this.

"We have to accept it, completely on us and me and we’ve got punished for the poor giveaways on the goals."

Steve Cooper insisted that he will treat Leicester’s upcoming Premier League fixture like “any other game” as he prepares to face former club Nottingham Forest for the first time.

Cooper spent two years at the City Ground, guiding the Tricky Trees to the top-flight in his first season in charge, despite taking over the club when they were bottom of the Championship.

The Welshman guided Forest to safety in his first season in the Premier League but was dismissed in December 2023 after a run of one win in 13 matches.

Coming into Friday’s game on the back of consecutive wins, Cooper was not drawn into the emotions of facing his former employers and is confident the Foxes can continue their forward momentum.

"I'm looking forward to it like any other game. It's a very good culture here and even though we didn't get the results in the early season, it's always been a motivated and hard-working training ground,” Cooper said.

"We look forward to every single game day. Forest is the next game, it doesn't matter who we are playing because we are so focused on ourselves. We are enjoying the journey that we are on.

"It was important we brought in extra players in the summer and in they had to bring some experience and know-how."

Forest, meanwhile, travel to their East Midlands rivals after downing Crystal Palace on Monday, moving them to eighth in the Premier League table after eight games.

The Tricky Trees have improved under Nuno Espirito Santo this season, though the Forest boss was quick to praise the job Cooper had done in his short tenure with the Foxes.

"Tough team, tough match. They have come from two good performances and two good results, it’s not easy to achieve back-to-back wins in the Premier League, they have done it. That should tell that they are in a good moment playing good,” Nuno said.

"It is going to be hard and tough, and you go there to try and fight and be better than them. It’s always the same philosophy.

Nuno will, however, not be on the touchline at the King Power Stadium as he serves the second game of his three-match ban, but said his absence from the sidelines will not affect preparations.

"We have taken care of that and making sure things go normal like they did in this game. We have constant communication with the coaching staff, we know that we are trying to prepare that in Leicester and hopefully, we can do the same,” he concluded.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leicester – Facundo Buonanotte

Buonanotte has been involved in five goals in his last six Premier League appearances for Leicester (three goals, two assists).

The 19-year-old could become just the 10th teenager to score or assist in four appearances in a row and be the first since Evan Ferguson for Brighton in January 2023.

Nottingham Forest – Elliot Anderson

Anderson is one of only three players to create five or more chances and complete five or more dribbles in a Premier League match this season after his impressive display against Crystal Palace (five chances created and six completed dribbles).

This campaign, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah against Bournemouth and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka against Leicester have achieved that feat.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Leicester have won their last two Premier League home games against Forest (December 1998 and October 2022), having won neither of their first two in the competition (D1 L1).

After winning none of their first six Premier League games this season (D3 L3), Leicester have since won both of their last two. The Foxes last won three successive matches in the competition in January 2021 under Brendan Rodgers.

And expect an entertaining affair. There have been at least four goals scored in all four of the Foxes Premier League home games against Forest.

But Forest arrive at the King Power Stadium with confidence.  They are unbeaten in their last six away games in the Premier League (W4 D2); their longest run without an away defeat in the top-flight since February-October 1995 (12 games).

The Tricky Trees also won 2-0 against Leicester in their last league meeting (January 2023), last winning consecutive league games against the Foxes in March 2005 and December 2009.

Only Liverpool (three) have conceded fewer goals than Nottingham Forest (six) in the Premier League so far this season, while Nuno’s side also rank third for expected goals against (8.81). They conceded 20 shots against Crystal Palace last time out, yet still held them to under one expected goal (0.97).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leicester – 37.3%

Draw – 26.4%

Nottingham Forest – 36.3%

Jordan Ayew celebrated a goal that represented "what we play football for" after his late winner against Southampton.

Ayew scored in the 98th minute on Saturday to seal a 3-2 comeback win for Steve Cooper's team.

It marked Leicester's latest goal on record in a Premier League game, and the first time the Foxes have ever won an away match in the competition in which they had trailed by two goals.

Ayew, a summer signing from Crystal Palace, drilled low into the corner to seal a memorable victory.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Ayew said: "Massive three points, back-to-back wins especially after the international break is not easy. We did well, we fought, we pushed them and pushed ourselves as well and got the three points. 

"It was just natural instinct. Luckily the ball came, it wasn't easy but I managed to score. We're all happy and hopefully there is more to come.

"Everyone was happy and that's what we play football for, these kinds of moments."

Leicester have lost just one of their last five Premier League games (W2 D2) after losing two of their first three under Cooper.

"We just need to stay humble because we were losing 2-0 so all is not perfect," added Ayew.

"It's not going to be every weekend like this, it's going to be tough. But we have a quality group, we believe in ourselves, we believe in our manager. We are going to give our best for the club."

Southampton raced into a 2-0 lead through Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo at Saint Mary's, with Facundo Buonanotte dragging Leicester back into it in the 64th minute.

Ryan Fraser's red card for a foul in the area paved the way for Jamie Vardy to score from the spot, before Ayew was on hand to seal the spoils.

A frustrated Russell Martin said: "The sending off changed the game. They hadn't had any of the ball near our goal at that point. Then Ryan gets sent off and it becomes really difficult.

"We played some brilliant stuff in the first half-hour but didn't take our chances to kill the game off. Someone gets sent off, it changes the whole context of the game.

"With VAR, I can't have any complaints, they obviously analysed it and looked at it."

Russell Martin wants to see his Southampton side replicate their performances against the Premier League’s biggest clubs when they face opponents closer to them in the table.

Following their return from the international break, the Saints face Everton and Wolves, but start by welcoming Leicester City to St. Mary's this Saturday. 

Having watched his team go toe-to-toe with Arsenal in their last encounter, Martin is targeting the same approach in the upcoming games that he’s labelled “absolutely vital”.

“We’ve had Newcastle away; Manchester United at home, where for half an hour we’ve been outstanding; and here,” Martin said.

“Now we have to transfer that into the games that are going to really define our season, and we have three or four of those coming up in the next block of games that are going to be absolutely vital.

“The league is so tight and is going to be so tight for so long, but today I saw so much in a lot of the guys and the team, the way it felt, to make me feel really excited about what’s to come.”

Leicester, meanwhile, earned their first win since their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth last time out.

Facundo Buonanotte’s only goal sealed the victory, notching his fourth goal involvement in six Premier League appearances this season – already his joint-most across a single campaign in the competition (also four in 2023-24)

The Foxes also kept a clean sheet at home in the Premier League for the first time since October 2022, though head coach Steve Cooper insisted it was just a small step in the right direction.

“Everybody gave everything in the game,” Cooper said. “They give everything every single day in training. Of course, in the first quarter of games there’s things we could have done better, but some things have really gone against us as well.

“To get that grey cloud away from us of getting that win, we’ve really got to think now about getting some more positive results like this. It’s brilliant and you’ve got to enjoy it, because it’s so hard to win games in the Premier League, but it’s one win.

“From now, there won’t be a day that goes by without me thinking about how we beat Southampton. Obviously, we’ll reflect, but all with the idea of how we can improve to try and go back-to-back when we return after the international break.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southampton – Cameron Archer

Archer opened his Premier League account in Southampton’s defeat to Arsenal ahead of the international break, and he will be hoping to continue his scoring streak on Saturday.

This will be the 22-year-old’s first senior outing against Leicester, having played two games against them with Aston Villa’s Under-18’s, winning once and losing the other.

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Vardy has been involved in 12 goals against Southampton in his English league career (eight goals, four assists) – against no side has he had a hand in more.

Six of these eight goals have come at St Mary’s Stadium, including a hat-trick in October 2019, while he has also scored two goals from five shots in the Premier League this term – no player to have had at least five attempts has a better conversion rate than the veteran Foxes striker (40%).

MATCH PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON WIN

While Southampton are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, they are winless in their last 20 Premier League games (D5 L15) – failure to win in this match would set a club record for their outright longest winless run in their top-flight history.

Though the Saints have had the fifth-highest share of possession in the top-flight this season (57.4%), just 3.2% of Southampton’s touches have come in the opposition box, the third-lowest ratio this term.

Martin’s side have also conceded more goals following a high turnover than any other side in the Premier League this season (four).

And having done the double over Leicester in their last Premier League campaign together in 2022-23, Southampton lost both Championship meetings with the Foxes last term by an aggregate score of 9-1.

Leicester are one of just three teams (along with Arsenal and Man City) to have scored in every Premier League game so far this season. The Foxes earned their first win of the campaign last time out, last winning consecutively in the competition in February 2023.

However, they are winless in their last three Premier League away games against Southampton (D2 L1) since a 9-0 win under Brendan Rodgers back in October 2019.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Southampton – 42.2%

Draw – 25.4%

Leicester – 32.5%

Steve Cooper insists the mood at Leicester City is not downbeat as the Foxes' wait for a first Premier League win rolls into matchday seven.

Leicester fought back from 2-0 down away at Arsenal last time out, only for two goals in second-half stoppage time from the Gunners to break their resolve.

Attention now turns to a home game against Bournemouth, who beat Leicester's fellow promoted side Southampton 3-1 on Monday.

And though Leicester sit in 17th without a win to their name, Cooper is not down in the doldrums.

As reported by Leicestershire Live, he said: "We're not heads down and we're not of the mindset that we'll be okay either.

"Both of those mindsets are dangerous. We're in the middle of that, where we're frustrated that we haven’t been able to get more out of the games, but there's a constant determination to put things right.

"We have to make sure the mindset is right with the players. I really believe that will happen, convinced of it, that we will get what we want from this season."

One bright spark this season for Leicester came off the pitch, as they won an appeal that means they cannot be penalised by the Premier League for an alleged breach of the competition's financial rules in the 2022-23 season.

This means Leicester are extremely unlikely to be hit with a points deduction for that supposed breach.

"The landscape has definitely changed on that front," said Cooper.

"Even when that was looming over us, it wasn't interfering with our daily work either.

"What we want to achieve, as we decided on, it's still very much achievable. When we achieve it, we will look back and say it was a rocky road."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leicester City - Wilfred Ndidi

Bukayo Saka (five) is the only Premier League player with more assists than Ndidi (four) this season.

Ndidi's four assists is just one fewer than he managed in 32 Championship appearances last term, while it is already his joint-best in a single Premier League campaign (also four in 2020-21).

Bournemouth - Antoine Semenyo

Only Erling Haaland (31) has had more shots than Semenyo (28) in the Premier League this season, with Semenyo the only Bournemouth player to score more than once so far (three).

The Ghana international has also completed the most dribbles (eight) and had the most touches in the opposition box (34) of any Cherries player in the competition this term.

MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN

Cooper has never beaten Bournemouth in five attempts in all competitions (D2 L3). It is the joint-most he has ever faced an opponent as a manager without ever winning (also five vs Manchester United).

Leicester have faced more shots than any other side in the Premier League this season (114), with their 34 faced against Arsenal last time out their most on record (since 2003-04) in a single match in the competition.

However, since winning four consecutive away league games in November/December last season, Bournemouth have won just three of their last 13 on the road (D3 L7), with two of those wins coming against sides in the relegation zone.

That being said, Bournemouth have won each of their last three Premier League games against Leicester, their joint-longest winning run against the Foxes in their league history (also three between 1987 and 1989).

Leicester have won just two of their 12 Premier League games against Bournemouth (D5 L5), with both of those victories coming at the King Power Stadium in 2019 (2-0 in March, 3-1 in August).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leicester City - 31.5%

Bournemouth - 43.3%

Draw - 25.1%

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s fixation on rectifying their near-miss in the Premier League last season is the difference for his players this time around.

After battling to a 2-2 draw against Manchester City last Sunday, the Gunners booked their place in the EFL Cup fourth round with an emphatic win over Bolton Wanderers, with several of their emerging talent starring at the Emirates.

Ethan Nwaneri and Jack Porter stole the limelight in midweek, with the former grabbing two goals on his senior Arsenal start, with Arteta also giving four more teenagers the chance to shine against the League One outfit.

But speaking ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Leicester, the Arsenal head coach believes his squad’s hunger to achieve this season is the difference when looking at the previous groups he has managed for the Gunners.

“Well, I think it’s the time in your career, you know that you start to dream, or to pursue certain objectives, targets and when you have accomplished them you want something else,” Arteta said.

“At that moment if the team, the club cannot provide that you need to do it elsewhere, it’s something natural, I think.

“I have all kinds of dreams, but it’s a nice one to have it’s a positive. What is a reality of a dream is the team I have that I have to manage.”

Leicester, meanwhile, needed penalties to ensure their progression in the EFL Cup against Walsall on Tuesday, with Danny Ward saving all three of the hosts’ spot-kicks.

While progressing to the next round, the travelling Foxes faithful made their opinions heard at the end of the contest, and their players face an almighty task of getting their first three points on the board at the Emirates on Saturday.

The Leicester head coach acknowledged the enormity of the task at hand, explaining he has lofty ambitions of his side reaching the level that was on show when the Gunners faced Pep Guardiola’s side last Sunday.

"It was an intriguing game for sure. They've played another game since, watched the game closely last night against Bolton Wanderers,” Cooper said.

“Our focus is on us, so we've got to do everything really well in the game.

“This is the level we want to be at, these are the games we want to be playing but we want to be playing them with the right attitude, with the right mentality, like I said, with the ambition of being able to succeed and If we can get the result that we're craving for then there's no better time."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Raheem Sterling

After marking his first start for Arsenal with a goal in the EFL Cup in midweek, Sterling will be pushing for a start against an opponent he has flourished against in recent years.

The 29-year-old has netted a brace in his last two Premier League appearances against the Foxes, one with Man City (December 2021) and one with Chelsea (August 2022).

Only three players have scored multiple goals against an opponent in a Premier League match with three different clubs – Robbie Fowler vs Bolton (Liverpool, Leeds, Man City), Darren Bent vs Bolton (Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland) and Andrew Cole vs West Ham (Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City).

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Vardy has started the season with two goals in five appearances, moving him eight goals away from scoring 200 goals for Leicester in all competitions.

But during his time in the Premier League, he has often loved coming against the Gunners. The veteran striker has scored 11 goals in 16 games against Arsenal, the joint-most he has netted against a single club in the competition alongside Watford.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal boasts an impressive record against this weekend’s opponents, winning their last five Premier League games against Leicester, their joint-longest winning run against the Foxes in their league history (also five between 1908 and 1914 and between 1930 and 1932).

The Gunners have also won 16 of their last 17 Premier League games against promoted sides, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in May 2023. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in 39 such games (W34 D5) since a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in November 2010.

But Arteta will be hoping for cooler heads upon their return to the Emirates. Arsenal have received six cards (four yellow and two second yellow) for either time-wasting or not retreating in the Premier League this season, two more than any other club.

Leicester, meanwhile, travel to the capital in hopes of improving their record in North London. The Foxes have won just one of their last 26 away league games against Arsenal (D4 L21), picking up a 1-0 victory in October 2020.

But since their return to the division, they have shown little signs that may change. Cooper’s side remain winless in their five Premier League games so far this season, drawing three and losing two. Only in their relegation campaign of 2022-23 have they gone six without a win from the start of the campaign in the competition.

But the Foxes have both scored and conceded in all five of their league games so far this season – only in their title winning campaign of 2015-16 have they had a longer such run from the start of a campaign in the competition (first nine).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 75.9%

Draw – 14.5%

Leicester – 9.6%

Steve Cooper is desperate to prove himself to Leicester City's supporters after being the target of dissenting chants during their EFL Cup tie at Walsall on Tuesday.

Leicester scraped through to the fourth round of the EFL Cup by winning 3-0 in a penalty shoot-out at the Bescot Stadium, having seen a much-changed team held to a 0-0 draw.

Goalkeeper Danny Ward saved all three spot-kicks he faced, but Leicester's performance drew criticism from the away end as the Foxes only managed two shots on target – and none in the first half.

Amid chants of "this is embarrassing", one supporter even encroached on the playing area to vent his frustrations at Cooper before being removed by stewards.

Leicester are also one of six teams yet to win a Premier League game this term, and Cooper's links to their rivals Nottingham Forest meant his appointment was not universally welcomed.

He knows he must build a positive relationship with fans as quickly as possible, saying: "I have no problem with it. It's an experience that I will try to make the best of.

"What an opportunity to show how good I am and how good we are. That will be my approach to it.

"I'll never have a bad opinion about any view. I have a lot of respect for supporters. I know I have got to build credit with supporters. 

"It's nights like this where you can look back and really build strong relationships. That's my objective.

"I really, really want to do well for this football club. I've really bought into what it stands for and the people who work here. 

"Everyone is so good-willed and good-natured and wants the club to do well and I take that responsibility seriously. It's important to talk about it. I see it as a great opportunity."

Leicester face a tough assignment at Arsenal on Saturday, having lost their last five league matches against the Gunners, also winning just one of their last 26 away league games against them (four draws, 21 losses).

Leicester City have to accept "a point is all they deserved" according to manager Steve Cooper, after drawing 1-1 with Everton in the Premier League.

The East Midlands outfit remain without a win in their opening five matches, with three draws and two losses.

Stephy Mavididi salvaged a point at the King Power Stadium after Iliman Ndiaye had put Everton a goal to the good after 12 minutes.

Cooper believes it was all the hosts could have asked for after a disappointing first-half showing in which they managed just one shot on target and created an expected goals of just 0.15.

"We were nowhere near the level first half, I won't hide away from that. We were deservedly losing the game, and we were second best in the fundamentals," he told BBC MOTD.

"It was accepted by the players that things had to change at half-time, and we had to be better. That was a must for the second half. The boys stuck to the task in the second half and got themselves together and didn't go under.

"We got ourselves level with the set-piece. We pushed on to get the winner, and it didn't quite happen.

"The game could have been better, but it could have been worse, and we have to accept that the point is all we deserved today."

The fixture boasts the most draws in the history of the Premier League. 17 out of the 35 matches the two sides have played have ended in draws, which is the highest proportion for any fixture to have been played 30+ times in the competition (49%).

Everton also remain without a win but registered their first point of the season by holding on to the draw.

Manager Sean Dyche was optimistic about his side's trajectory after the final whistle.

"It was a positive display. There have been question marks around us not winning, but we have got our nose in front and I thought we delivered a good performance," he said.

"We know we have to take chances. We created enough again today to be more than one goal in front but generally a positive display.

"Lots of positive signs. A ball falls to them in an unfortunate moment and that is the way it is going at the moment, but I thought that there was a big shift in our play today."

Dyche remains unconcerned despite Everton having dropped the most points from winning positions of any Premier League side in 2024 (18).

"I look at it as it is. There are positive signs that we are moving closer to the way we want to play. We are still moulding a group together that can do what we want to do, so it is a constant work in progress," he reflected.

Sean Dyche is hoping Everton can find their clinical edge upon their return to Premier League action having been dumped out of the Carabao Cup in midweek by Southampton.

Everton were beaten on penalties by the Saints on Tuesday after seeing Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal cancelled out by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

The Toffees ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.54 compared to Southampton’s 0.53, but could only manage four shots on target, the same as their opponents.

Taking opportunities in front of goal has been a persistent problem for Everton this season, with Dyche acknowledging his side must improve when they travel to face Leicester this weekend.

“Yet again we’ve created golden chances, and you’ve got to score those chances and that changes the whole game,” Dyche said.

“There’s been times we’ve scored goals and looked like we can score goals, but you’ve got to kill games off. If you’re not keeping clean sheets, you have to kill games off and we’ve not done that.

“That’s a nemesis for us. It’s been here a long time, and we’ve tried to correct it and tried to find those moments, but that’s the hardest bit as a manager.

“We’ve got in some amazing positions again tonight, with one on ones, but we haven’t scored a second goal. Obviously, the work continues.”

Leicester, meanwhile, had to settle for a point in their controversial 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last time out as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty shared the spoils at Selhurst Park.

Foxes head coach Steve Cooper was left wanting answers from decision-makers at the Premier League following the award of Palace’s first goal, having seen it initially ruled out for offside, only for VAR to overturn the decision.

However, Cooper insisted he was pleased with his side’s display against the Eagles, saying his players must keep going in their quest to get their first three points on the board.

“There was so much good in the performance, particularly in the first half, but I'm not going to shout that from the rooftops because of obviously how we're feeling about the results,” Cooper said.

“We come up against a team who have invested over a number of years and put a team together and been in the Premier League for a long while.  

“It's a pity that we conceded the goals in the way that we have because I don't think that really typified the mentality that we showed, but we have to own it, and we have to keep going. We have to stick together, be positive, and that's what we'll do.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leicester – Wilfried Ndidi

Ndidi has assisted three goals in his last two Premier League appearances for Leicester, as many as he had in his previous 62 games combined in the top-flight.

He is only the second Foxes player to assist three goals in their opening four Premier League games in a season, along with Marc Albrighton in their title-winning campaign of 2015-16.

Everton – Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Calvert-Lewin has scored in 14 Premier League defeats for Everton, including in his last two games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

That’s the most games scored in and lost for the Toffees in the competition, one ahead of Duncan Ferguson who lost 13 times when scoring for Everton.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both sides head into the encounter at the King Power Stadium in search of their first three points of the season, but Leicester have struggled against the Toffees of late.

The Foxes have won just one of their last seven Premier League meetings with Everton (D3 L3), a 2-0 away win in November 2022.

And for only a fourth time, Leicester have failed to win any of their first four Premier League games in a season (D2 L2) – in all three previous seasons in which they’ve won none of their first four, they were relegated, in 1994-95, 2003-04 and 2022-23.

However, Everton failed to win any of their first five league games in both 2022-23 (D3 L2) and 2023-24 (D1 L4). In Premier League history, the only team to fail to win any of their opening five games in three consecutive seasons is Sunderland, who did so in four in a row between 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Dyche’s side have been 2-0 up in each of their last two Premier League matches but gone on to lose both 3-2 against Bournemouth and Aston Villa, becoming just the second team in Premier League history to lose consecutive games from 2+ goals ahead, after the Cherries in November 2022. No team has ever failed to win in three games in a row when leading by two or more goals.

But 16 of the 34 Premier League meetings between Leicester and Everton have been drawn, the highest percentage for any fixture to have been played 30+ times in the competition (47%).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leicester – 38.5%

Draw – 26.3%

Everton – 35.2%

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper wants the Premier League to provide clear evidence as to why Jean Philippe Mateta's first goal was given in their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

Mateta netted a brace to deny Leicester their first win of the season, but his first goal was originally flagged as offside before it was overturned after a VAR review.

Cooper's side had performed brilliantly to take a two-goal advantage up to that point, with goals from Jamie Vardy and Stephy Mavididi putting them in a comfortable position.

However, the Leicester boss was left with a sour taste in his mouth, confirming he wants greater clarity on why Palace's first goal was awarded.

"I really want to see the image that says that was definitely onside because at the moment we have a few questions to ask of the Premier League," Cooper said. 

He wanted to take the positives from the encounter, but could not deny that the late Mateta equaliser from the penalty spot was a painful one to take.

"There's definitely loads of good in the game, but if I'm being honest, it feels like a loss," Cooper added.

"Sometimes a point away from home ends up being really important, it might not feel like it at the moment, but it might be. 

"We just needed to manage those moments after going 2-0 up, which we didn't quite do."

Palace boss Oliver Glasner was also disappointed to only pick up a point but praised their character after coming back from two goals down to avoid a third loss in their opening four league matches.

Glasner said: "We are not happy with the point, but I'm really pleased and delighted with the spirit and the character of the players again.

"With the great support from the stand, we had a very good belief today, and with a great impact also from our subs, and let's say all this together, keeping the belief, having a great support from the stand, and having a good impact from our subs. Then we came back. I think it's a compliment for the team for this comeback."

The Austrian was also pleased with his two debutants, Maxence Lacroix and Eddie Nketiah, with both featuring for the entirety of the match.

“Maxence was solid, and also we could see that it was his first competitive game for a very long time in some parts, but he was solid," said Glasner.

"Eddie showed what he showed during training, what we expected from him: he always can threaten the goals.

"He was a little bit unlucky with the two or three finishes he had, but he had good movements, and also before the very important penalty, he made this run and blocked the defender."

Unai Emery admitted Aston Villa will do everything in their power to reach the top six this season as they prepare to face Leicester City on Saturday. 

Emery watched on as his side suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season, losing 2-0 to Arsenal at Villa Park despite creating the better chances. 

Last season's top scorer, Ollie Watkins, endured a difficult spell in front of goal, squandering two golden opportunities either side of the half-time interval. 

But the Villains' head coach was confident his players will improve but acknowledged the difficulty of replicating last season's fourth-place finish in the division. 

"I accept the result today because we are doing our way and trying to improve our things and develop as well. It is the second day in the Premier League," Emery said.

"There's still work to do. We will improve and use those matches we played against West Ham and today to understand our way. We will try to be in the top 10, the top six.

"I am happy and if we were scoring goals then maybe we would be winning. With Arsenal, we feel we are close to getting a performance. The players will stay calm and have two days rest and then get ready for the match against Leicester."

Leicester were involved in EFL Cup action in midweek, producing a dominant 4-0 triumph over League Two side Tranmere Rovers at the King Power Stadium. 

The Foxes bounced back from their 2-1 defeat to Fulham in the Premier League, with new signing Jordan Ayew among the scorers on Tuesday.

Ayew was one of two new faces on show, with midfielder Oliver Skipp, who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, also handed his Leicester debut. 

Steve Cooper expressed his delight at the attitude shown by his players during the contest, and is keen for them to carry that into their meeting with Villa on Saturday.

“The most important thing is to win and play well. We had real dominance from start to finish," Cooper said. 

"Jordan (Ayew) made it happen with his goal, which is obviously a wonderful strike and good for him to get off the mark on his debut, but we needed more moments in the final third, whether it was one vs. one or combination work.

"The expectation is to play well. That starts with the right attitude, and I think we showed that mentality in the game tonight, which should be non-negotiable.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy has been involved in 98 Premier League goals at the King Power Stadium (71 goals and 27 assists), scoring their equaliser on the opening day against Spurs.

The veteran striker is looking to become the 14th player to have 100+ goal involvements at a single venue, while since 2014-15, only Mohamed Salah at Anfield (128) and Kevin De Bruyne at the Etihad (111) have more goals and assists at a venue than Vardy at the King Power.

Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins

After enduring an uncharacteristically difficult day in front of goal against Arsenal, Watkins will be hopeful of halting his goal drought against the Foxes. 

Watkins has now gone seven Premier League appearances without a goal for Villa, his longest barren run since an eight-game run between August and October 2022, just prior to Emery’s arrival.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Villa are expected to bounce back in the East Midlands derby, winning 48.5% of Opta's data-led simulations, with Leicester prevailing in just 27.4% of those instances.

The Foxes, however, have lost just seven of their 28 Premier League meetings with Saturday's opponents (W11 D10), their lowest loss rate against any side they’ve faced 20+ times in the competition (25%).

But keeping goals out has proved to be a problem. Since a run of five clean sheets in six Premier League games prior to the 2022 World Cup break, Leicester have kept just one clean sheet in their last 25 matches in the top flight.

Cooper has also failed to win either of his first two league games in charge of Leicester (D1 L1); the last Foxes manager to win none of his opening three was Paulo Sousa in August 2010.

But since Emery's arrival at Villa Park, he has enjoyed playing away from the West Midlands. Only Man City (23) and Arsenal (20) have won more away games than Villa (15).

Villa are also looking to win their opening two away matches in a Premier League season for a fourth time, previously doing so in 2009-10, 2014-15 and 2020-21. But they will be hopeful of doing so with a clean sheet, having gone seven top flight games without a shutout.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Leicester – 27.4%

Draw – 24%

Aston Villa – 48.5%

Steve Cooper insisted that keeping veteran striker Jamie Vardy fit throughout the season would be vital in confirming their Premier League status for another year. 

Vardy netted the Foxes' equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, scoring his ninth goal against Spurs and his 137th in the competition. 

While their talisman is coming to the end of his Leicester career and is the oldest player in the squad by five years, Cooper said his influence on the side is crucial. 

"Jamie doesn’t need any special words from me on his capabilities and impact he can have and the talent he has around the box," Cooper said. 

"Keeping him fresh for games is going to be important. He is an older player now at his age. As they get older, they understand their bodies well and know what is needed to prepare for games.

"It is important we work with him collaboratively to get him ready for games. He really enjoys the games and what it takes to get ready for games, and we have to respect that."

Fulham started the new season by falling to a late defeat at the hands of Manchester United, with new signing Joshua Zirkzee striking late for the hosts. 

It marked the Cottagers' first defeat starting a season away from home since the 2008-09 campaign, but there were positives to take for head coach Marco Silva.

Fulham registered 10 shots, with only two on target, as Silva recognised that his players must take a more precautionary approach to their first home game. 

"When I see our players with some free kicks, trying to rush all the decisions, even with the players on the grass trying to do it quickly, we should have much more balance in decisions, to have longer moments in possession," Silva said.  

"Because the pressure from Man United at that moment was not there any more. We should have longer possession to create the moments, but we started to lose the ball too quickly. 

"And then at the last minute, they scored in one moment that the game was completely broken."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham – Andreas Pereira

Despite losing their opening game against Manchester United, Andreas Pereira put on a strong showing against his former employers.

Pereira created more chances than any other Premier League player in the opening round of fixtures (six), while also playing the most passes into the final third (16) than any other Fulham player last Friday.

It’s the 19th time on record a Fulham player has created six or more chances in a top-flight match, with the Brazilian responsible for seven of those.

Leicester – Abdul Fatawu

Leicester enjoyed a much better result upon their return to the Premier League, with one of the standout figures from their Championship success, Abdul Fatawu, starring for the Foxes.

No Premier League player won more duels on matchday one than Fatawu (13), while he also led all Foxes players in successful dribbles (three), possession won (eight) and tackles (six).

MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN

Fulham will be hoping to return to winning ways on home soil. They have only started a season with consecutive defeats in just two of their 17 previous Premier League campaigns (2018-19 and 2020-21).

The Cottagers won both Premier League meetings with Leicester the last time the sides met in 2022-23, last winning three consecutive league games against the Foxes between 1966 and 1967.

However, Fulham haven’t won their first home match in any of their last five Premier League campaigns (D1 L4), since a 5-0 win against Norwich City in 2012-13.

For Leicester, they will be looking to carry their away form from the Championship into the Premier League.

No side in the top four tiers of English football won more away league games than Leicester last season (14). The Foxes won each of their first seven away games in the Championship last term, winning the same amount in their final 16 on the road (D3 L6).

Foxes boss Cooper, however, has lost six of his seven meetings with Fulham in all competitions, though his one and only success did come at Craven Cottage (1-0 in April 2022). He’s lost all three Premier League games against the Cottagers by an aggregate score of 10-2.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Fulham – 51.5%

Draw – 24.3%

Leicester – 24.1%