Leicester, who are currently leading the championship, have won 13 of their last 14 games, establishing a rapid pace and a 14-point advantage over Leeds, who are currently in third place. With 11 goal contributions, Dewsbury-Hall has been instrumental in that, having scored more goals thus far than he did in his previous two seasons combined.
Like Leeds, the Foxes are determined to return to the Premier League as soon as possible, which makes this Friday’s matchup a no-brainer for TV pickers and an opportunity to see how the two teams stack up against one another right now. Even though Whites manager Daniel Farke has downplayed the importance of individual games, Dewsbury-Hall understands the magnitude of the challenge Leeds face and that each one will eventually have the feel of a major game.
They’re on a good run now, but so are we. We’ve been on the training pitch, we’ve got a gameplan and we’re confident that we can implement that. We’re looking for three points and to keep the train moving.
Leicester’s formation is a 4-1-4-1 when they don’t have the ball and a 3-2-4-1 when they do. Enzo Maresca’s strategy revolves around possession dominance, which has been seen in 63% of their games this season on average. Leeds, using a 4-2-3-1 shape, aims to control the ball themselves. However, both Maresca and Farke make different adjustments to the lineup during games. When Leicester is in possession, Ricard Pereira moves forward from right-back to join Harry Winks in deep-lying midfield, while left-back James Justin tucks in to form a back three. Leeds’ right-back has frequently been pushed up to play as a winger by Farke, with wide players performing more like number 10s. Archie Gray, a central midfielder who has experience at
Though each manager will have a firm idea of what to expect when they put their sides out onto the Kingpower Stadium surface on Friday night, Dewsbury-Hall suggests Leicester are capable of springing surprises on their visitors.
“We haven’t even scratched the surface yet with Enzo,” he said. “He’s got so many ideas. You might be seeing new things – we know that Leeds are an aggressive team, but we’ve got tricks up our sleeve and things that we can do to catch them out, and I’m sure you’ll see some of these things on Friday night.
I think we can do something exceptional here if we keep doing what we’re doing. However, I appreciate that no one is overly confident here, and I like that. What’s most impressive is how focused everyone is all the time. Something extraordinary might occur if we carry on with our current course of action. It’s important to keep your head down, remain grounded, go cautiously, and depressurize yourself.
