Leicester City v Crystal Palace: Pardew predicts goals

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has claimed that in-form striker Jamie Vardy has a ways to go before he can justify comparisons with Barcelona ace Neymar.

Leicester trailed 2-0 at St Mary’s by half-time, but two Jamie Vardy goals after the break secured a point, and the Foxes remain fifth in the table. The Foxes have conceded more than one goal in five of their nine fixtures, the worst coming in a 5-2 thumping at the hands of Arsenal on September 26. After working with Cabaye at Newcastle, Pardew has managed to get the best out of Cabaye again at Crystal Palace and the Frenchman has been far and away the South London club’s best player so far.

“I’m contracted to the club and I’m happy at Leicester. It’s all about knuckling down and seeing where we can finish this season”.

Fifteen years ago, ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips was the top scorer in the Premier League and also the European Golden Boot victor.

Crystal Palace though will come into this game with the bit between their teeth. He has inherited an unbalanced squad, and simply needs superior players – or Sturridge consistently available and always in prolific form, which is unlikely – if he is to inspire them to qualify for the Champions League in this campaign.

The 28-year-old has also broken into Roy Hodgson’s England team, earning four caps.

Sky Bet make Vardy a 6/4 shot to score for the seventh successive Premier League game as 5/4 shots Leicester face Crystal Palace (2/1) at the King Power Stadium.

A hamstring injury to Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham’s complicated calf injury had already left Pardew short of striking options before Dwight Gayle’s red card in last week’s 3-1 loss to West Ham. I like Palace too, and they’ll be given space to play.