How Leicester could line up against Man City in first game under Dean Smith

Pepe Reina was closer to the halfway line than his goal when Harvey Barnes rolled in the first of Leicester’s four goals against Aston Villa in March 2020.

A convincing victory left the Foxes third and Villa mired in the relegation zone after the final Premier League fixture before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of England’s top flight – and everything else.

Dean Smith, glumly watching on from the opposite dugout at the King Power Stadium, would later describe that galling defeat as a “watershed moment”. Villa returned to club football reinvigorated in June, hauling themselves to safety with eight points from their final four matches.

Three years on, Leicester are in need of a similar turnaround, finding themselves second-bottom and without a manager after the dismissal of Brendan Rodgers. Smith is now tasked with pulling off another great escape after taking over as interim manager until the end of the season.

Smith is inheriting a side that sits firmly at the foot of the form table, losing seven of their last eight league matches. A trip to the home of reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday awaits Smith if he takes over this week.

Here’s how the former Brentford, Villa and Norwich City boss may line up for a daunting debut fixture.

Leicester’s sluggish summer transfer window set the tone for a dreary season. The failure to replace the long-serving Kasper Schmeichel has not helped a side that has conceded 52 goals this season – a tally only three other clubs can exceed.

Schmeichel’s number two Danny Ward was promoted at the start of the season but was dropped in a desperate attempt to steady a sinking ship by Rodgers in March. 25-year-old Daniel Iversen has patrolled the posts in the last four matches, failing to keep a single clean sheet.

Smith has a keen appreciation for statistics after nearly three years at Brentford and may stick with Iversen, who comes out on top in a comparison of shot-stopping metrics – although, the Dane is less comfortable sweeping behind an advanced backline (but not to the calamitous standards of Reina).

Decision to make: Ward or Iversen

Smith has faced Pep Guardiola’s City on six occasions over the years, including the 2020 Carabao Cup final, losing each and every one….