Walsall vs Leicester City

Underperforming Premier League stalwarts Leicester City head to the Bescot Stadium to encounter fourth-tier Walsall in the FA Cup fourth round.

Walsall netted a 95th-minute winner to overcome fellow League Two adversaries Stockport County 2-1 in the last FA Cup tie to book their fourth-round tickets for the first time since 2015/16. But you’d need to go back to 2002/03 for the last time Walsall roared into the FA Cup round five, casting doubt on their hopes of maintaining a decent-looking three-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W2, D1). And while a narrow 1-0 win over Leicester in their only previous FA Cup meeting offers some hope to the ‘Saddlers,’ it’s worth noting that the fixture dates back to 1977/78. They’ve met Leicester in four competitive matches in the 21st century, losing three times via multi-goal margins (D1), most recently going down 4-1 at home in 2009.

Meanwhile, Leicester City’s bid to avoid relegation took another blow last weekend as Brighton & Hove Albion’s late equalizer held them to a 2-2 home draw, extending their winless Premier League run to five matches (D1, L4). Brendan Rodgers’ men languish only one point clear of the drop zone, so the upcoming FA Cup assignment could be a welcoming distraction, especially considering they claimed a 1-0 away win over lower-league Gillingham in the last round. That victory forms part of Leicester’s lengthy streak of 11 consecutive away games without a draw (W4, L7), eight of which featured a winning/losing margin of 2+ goals. Since seven of their last eight travels have seen the winner keep a clean sheet, scoring first could be a critical factor in this fixture.