Our prediction for this EFL Cup match:
A place in the EFL Cup last 16 will be at stake when Walsall and Leicester City face each other at Bescot Stadium on Tuesday evening. The Saddlers are on a three-game winning run in all competitions, but they are still as underdogs in the EFL Cup clash. Even though there are no fresh injury worries in the home team, experienced forward Albert Adomah should sneak into the starting XI.
The Foxes, on the other hand, have yet to record a win in the new Premier League campaign and, no doubt, they are eager to give fans something to cheer about. Veteran Jamie Vardy should be rested against Walsall, with Odsonne Edouard likely to step up. Anyhow, Steven Cooper has a number of high-profile players to advance to the next EFL Cup round. When the two teams met in the FA Cup last year Leicester City defeated Walsall 1-0, with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring the only goal of the match. Both Patson Daka and Jakub Stolarczyk are injured for the visiting team.
Highlighted Player (Jamie Vardy):
Spending his early career playing no-league football, Jamie Vardy made the headlines when he joined Leicester City in a £1 million deal in 2012, but little did he know that he would go on to become a genuine Premier League star just three years later.
The experienced forward helped the Foxes gain promotion to the elite division and then score more than 20 goals as they mounted an unlikely title bid, earning worldwide acclaim as well as a place in the England squad. Vardy went on to score his first two goals for the Three Lions in March 2016 friendlies, with his back-heel goal against Germany in Berlin seeing him instantly become a fans’ favourite.
Over the years, Vardy has earned a reputation as a striker who never gives up and can be a real menace for opposition defenders, but his excellent goalscoring record and good link-up play are enough to suggest he can be described as a mix of old-style pacey forwards and modern strikers.
Highlighted Team (Walsall):
Founded in 1888, Walsall are a professional club that play home matches at Bescot Stadium. The capacity of the venue is 11,300 people and it was opened in 1990. Nicknamed the Saddlers, Walsall footballers wear red shirts and white shorts when playing in front of home fans, while black is the dominant colour of their away kit.
Walsall played out a goalless draw with Aston Villa on April 9, 1888 in their first ever game, with the team recording their biggest win on March 4, 1899 against Darwen (10-0). The Saddlers suffered their biggest defeat on December 17, 1892 as they were beaten by Small Heath 12-0.
Walsall fans consider wolverhampton wanderers the club’s biggest rivals, but the Saddlers have rivalries with Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale as well as the two clubs are only 30 miles away from Walsall. Crystal Palace centre-back Scott Dann is one of the most notable footballers who played for the Bescot Stadium.