Leicester City

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week four, he takes on Femi Koleoso and Ife Ogunjobi from jazz band Ezra Collective, the 2023 Mercury Music Prize winners.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Crystal Palace have made a slow start to the season and, in fact, I would even call it disappointing, but their wait for a first win of the new campaign won't go on much longer.

They should be a little bit too streetwise for Leicester, and I am finding it difficult to back the Foxes at the moment. It looks to me like they have got a long battle ahead of them to stay up.

Femi's prediction: 3-1

Palace to win and Eberechi Eze to score.

Ife's prediction: 1-1

I feel like Leicester will get something here.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, PA Media

Earlier, we asked you who has made the most Premier League appearances for Leicester City.

The correct answer is 2015-16 title winner Jamie Vardy, who has played 310 times for the Foxes in the top flight.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City and Crystal Palace will both be looking for their first Premier League wins of the season when they come head to head at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Former Foxes academy graduate Ian Baraclough believes the international break would have given Steve Cooper's side the chance to "reset" before "two absolutely key games".

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, he said: "Leicester have played three Premier League games now. One point is probably not what they were hoping for, but the break gives time for everyone to assess where they are at.

"It is a reset period and they will be wanting to go for the next block of games before the October international break. These games are going to be massive - that starts with Crystal Palace away and then Everton at home.

"They are two absolutely key games which, even at this early stage in the season, Leicester will be looking to get at least three points from."

On Steve Cooper utilising his "senior players" this season, Baraclough added: "He knows that Jamie Vardy, Conor Coady and Jannik Vestergaard will be massive around the group on a day-to-day basis.

"Cooper knows his senior players are key - they are massive. The way that the dressing room dynamics are driven, they are almost his lieutenants.

"He will rely on them, lean on them and make sure that his messages are getting across to the group through them.

"They will be really key throughout this season, especially when things aren't quite going so well. They will be the positive drivers throughout the squad. He has already spoken about the way they are and how they drive the group on."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Who has made the most Premier League appearances for Leicester?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no fresh injury concerns coming out of the international break but "some are still recovering" from their games and travel.

• He said "it is a bit frustrating" that striker Odsonne Edouard is not eligible to play against his parent-club Palace but it is in the terms of his loan deal.

• On the club being cleared of PSR charges: "It’s obviously a positive thing. Personally, even before joining, the club were pretty calm about the situation. It is good that the supporters have clarity and so does the game."

• He said the staff and players "were ready to stand up and fight for the club" if the outcome had not been positive.

• He said "we are still building our identity" but the squad show "real commitment and togetherness" in training and on the pitch.

• On players returning from international duty and preparing for the weekend: "It is no disadvantage as every Premier League team will lose a lot of players and they come back staggered. We are no different and we are just adapting."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Crystal Palace have won nine Premier League meetings with Leicester City - more victories than they have managed over any other team in the competition.

Meanwhile, the Foxes have won just two of their past 16 Premier League games in London (D3 L11), conceding 40 goals during that run.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester are "better equipped to stay in the Premier League" than last year's team and the dressing-room atmosphere after the international break will be "lifted beyond belief" by the club's PSR appeal success, says ex-Foxes defender Liam Moore.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Moore said: "This team will have an identity fairly soon and I think it will look very close to the team who were in the Premier League a few years back.

"The second half of the Tottenham game reminded me of a previous Leicester team. It was a different style of football where fans wanted that extra push.

"I believe Steve Cooper will be passing on the message: 'Limit the mistakes and punish at the other end.'

"The season really starts for the lads when they're back in Premier League action."

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

When is three points for a win, not three points for a win? When it is six.

That is the number of points that Leicester could have - allegedly - been docked if the Premier League had got its way over the Profit and Sustainability case against us. But in getting their first win of the season, albeit off the pitch, the Foxes have avoided a points deduction following a similar case win against the English Football League last season.

A lot of other clubs and their fans have been whining that we got off through a loophole, but a lawyer discussing Leicester’s PSR case stated there is no such thing as a loophole, just badly written rules or laws. Those clubs that are moaning the most seem to be those who fear being in a relegation scrap with us. If the safety of their club is reliant on us getting docked points then I don’t hold out much hope for their survival.

Also, didn’t both Everton and Nottingham Forest appeal their charges? Don’t we all try to appeal things, parking tickets, speeding tickets and more. Maybe if these clubs spent as much on a good lawyer as they did on having a squad the size of a small village they might have suffered less too.

The messy scenario justifies the views of fans who wonder what those at the Premier League are doing.

But now it’s over to Steve Cooper and his on field plans. This is a weight lifted off the squads' shoulders, now he has to get his side of the deal right. Two good second half displays against Tottenham and Aston Villa show promise, but 90 minutes against Fulham showed the opposite.

As always with City, it’s going to be a long season.

Find more from Chris Forryan at Leicester Till I Die, external

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City took one point from their opening three Premier League games, but former Foxes defender Liam Moore believes it is "far too early" to be concerned about their performances under new manager Steve Cooper.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Moore said: "It is far too early for me. I think this international break has come at a good time. It allows all of the troops to get together and spend time either on the training pitch or on international duty.

"I believe that after this international break finishes, Leicester's season really starts. There will be hope to pick up a few points in the next block of four games.

"Six points or over would be an outstanding return from their next four fixtures. If you get four points from those four games, I think you have got to be pretty happy.

"I think you have got to play with the mindset that those points can come from anywhere. I'm all for setting goals, but I think it's a bit of a waste of time to map out where you are going to get points or struggle - that sets a mindset and a culture.

"It is good to set goals, ideally I think the manager should sit the boys down, say we want six points before the next international break and tell them to go out and do it."

Moore added: "I think everybody understands the situation the club has been in over the summer, where we are at and how we are building.

"At the minute, there is a lot to build on. It is not all doom and gloom."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

The Premier League's summer transfer window saw clubs spend almost £2bn in all.

Data from Footballtransfers.com, external shows the biggest net spend by a club - that’s all the money spent minus all that came in from sales - was Brighton.

The Seagulls had a net spend of £153.5m.

On the flip side, the club who generated the biggest net summer profit on transfers was Manchester City, who made £115.8m, thanks in large part to the sale of Julian Alvarez.

Leicester had a net spend of £46m.

Former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt believes Leicester City's successful appeal against an alleged breach of the Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules is a "massive win off the pitch" for the club.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Fryatt said: "They had a cloud hanging over them.

"The fact is you have got to take care of your own business and get the points on the pitch, but they have been relieved of the possible five to 10 point deduction.

"You have got to hand it to the lawyers - they have been really clever. The devil is in the detail and, if it isn't written in the rules, Leicester have played it really well. They haven't done anything wrong with their accounting, which is governed by the rules.

"Other clubs may feel differently away from it, especially Nottingham Forest and Everton.

"It does galvanise teams - we saw that last season with both Everton and Forest. It seemed to bring those teams together, so it should give them a massive boost and instil even more belief.

"The pressure is on. There is now nothing to distract them, and there have been several signings coming in, so it is all about how they are going to perform and not the potential excuses."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, PA Media

We asked you for your views on how Leicester have started the season - and where you thought they might finish.

In our quick poll on Wednesday, almost 80% thought the Foxes would avoid relegation, with 47% of all who took part believing Steve Cooper's side would finish between 11th and 16th.

Here are some of your comments:

Maks: There's more fight in this group than we've seen in a while, which is pleasantly surprising. A couple of small tweaks to our tactics and we will be a competitive force to stay up.

Stephen: It will be a struggle to stay in the Premier League. Naive defending at times and a lack of creativity going forward. I asked those sat around me, is it better to be top of the Championship or bottom of the Premier League? Most agreed top of Championship as the feel-good factor when leaving the ground is high on people's priority list. Seventeenth at best.

Paul: Satisfied with our incomings but disappointed we couldn't offload a couple of others. I am concerned with the fact Cooper appears to think playing three defensive midfielders will promote attacking football.

Reuben: One really good thing: we won't be getting a points deduction. Bad thing: we only seem capable of playing against the big teams and only in the second half when we're already losing.

Carl: Cooper needs to set his team up to pass the ball forward and not sideways and backwards all the time. The players need belief and encouragement to play more on the front foot. It is so very frustrating to watch at the moment, especially when we have such talent in forward areas. We look a Premier League team when we pass quickly and forwards!

Dan Roan, Simon Stone and Tom Mallows
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester were charged for allegedly breaching Rule E.49 of the Premier League PSR regulations because their three-year rolling losses of £129.4m, up to the end of the 2022-23 season, were over the allowed threshold of £105m.

Following their relegation from the Premier League in May the Foxes officially ceased to be a top-flight side when they transferred their share to Luton in mid-June 2023.

Leicester successfully argued that because their 2022-23 accounting period ended on 30 June, they were not longer bound by Premier League rules and so could not be found in breach.

The Foxes had earlier changed the end of their accounting period from 30 May to 30 June, though the commission said there was not "anything untoward" with the move and it complied with accounting rules.

Technically, the Premier League could appeal, but it is unlikely because the bar is so high on what they need to prove.

The issue is with the wording of the Premier League’s own rules rather than the validity of the judgement.

It has created a situation where relegated clubs are no longer part of the Premier League if their three-year accounting period ends on 30 June. The ruling says because of that, the Premier League has no authority to charge clubs because they are not members.

The league could re-write the rules to make them tighter and less ambiguous, avoiding a similar situation in the future.

Read the full analysis of Leicester's PSR case

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City right-back Ricardo Pereira is yet to play any minutes in the Premier League this season and former Foxes winger Matt Piper believes the Portugal international "has got to be in the team" going forward.

"We are only three games in, but we talked about the rhythm in this team earlier on this season and it is not quite there," he told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"We are all shouting for Ricardo to be in the team. At some point the manager has got to give him the opportunity at Premier League level, whether it is in the centre or at full-back.

"You only stay in the Premier League with your best players - and he is definitely one of our best players."

Kate Blakemore from the Leicester Till I Die podcast added: "I agree with Pipes. He is one of the couple of world-class players that we have. He shone last year in the Championship and played in quite a few different roles.

"I think it was the game at Elland Road where I thought he was absolutely superb, when he moved into the middle and took them on. I would love to see him do that because he can defend and put the tackles in, but he is also so mobile and agile to move about the pitch and take the ball forward. We know he has got a couple of goals in his locker as well.

"If Steve Cooper still isn't playing Ricardo, then the fans are going to get on that and be frustrated if the results aren't coming.

"Cooper did say he watched every game of ours last season - so surely he can see how crucial Ricardo is to us in all areas."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

The dust has settled on the transfer window, the Premier League is well and truly back, and we are into the first international break of 2024-25.

So we want you to predict where Leicester City will finish in the Premier League this season - thinking about the start to the campaign and summer transfer business.

Submit your prediction here

And also, please tell us what is the one thing - good or bad - you have learned about the Foxes so far in the campaign?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League sources were incredulous last night at the independent panel's decision to rule they cannot take action against Leicester City over potential profit and sustainability breaches.

Effectively, the ruling confirmed that because Leicester officially ceased to be a Premier League side when their share certificate was handed over in mid-June 2023, the league did not have the power to take action against them over the accounting period that ended on 30 June 2023.

The Premier League can appeal, but the bar is high and what would they be appealing against? The ruling indicates the wording in the Premier League's regulations is not legally sound.

That will certainly be looked at - but what does it mean for Nottingham Forest, who were also not a Premier League club for part of the period they were deducted points for last season, and also potential breaches in the latest set of accounts that clubs are due to present to the league in December.

Beyond that, if the Premier League cannot make this stick - and it is a relatively straightforward case - what does it mean for their chances of a successful hearing against Manchester City later this year?

We asked for your reaction to Leicester City avoiding a points deduction this season, after the club successfully appealed an alleged breach of the Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Andy: A just decision. We sold top quality players, got relegated, and fought on the pitch to get ourselves back to the Premier League. We are miles behind all of the clubs in the Premier League, who have been able to retain their squads and improve them. Let's banish the rules and let results on the pitch determine each team's fate.

Rich: I'm very pleased. It has been ridiculous having this hanging over us for months. If this decision had been made a lot earlier, it might have had a real effect on our recruitment of not only players but the management too.

Liz: I'm so happy - this has just been hanging over us. Financial Fair Play needs to be looked at and modified. It is so unfair to the mid- and lower-table clubs who are trying to at least vaguely compete with the top six. Now we can concentrate on staying up!

Tony: We don't know the full details, but it appears to be a technicality. I'm glad because the rules seemed to be all about stopping teams outside of the 'Big Six' from competing with the 'Big Six'.

JG: As a Leicester fan, I find it embarrassing. Due to incompetence, we breached the rules. However, instead of accepting it, it seems we tried to swindle our way out of it. Legally we may have a point, but morally I think it is quite disrespectful to the other teams.

Nick: A decade on from showing that smaller clubs could be successful on the pitch, this is a massive victory. Hopefully this allows Leicester City, and other ambitious teams, to compete with the big boys once again.

Kay: Fantastic! A victory for the 'little' clubs. It's about time the playing field was made equal. Come on you Blues.

Leicester have won an appeal against a decision that could have led to a points deduction for an alleged breach of Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules.

An independent panel found the Premier League did not have the jurisdiction to punish the club.

Tell us how you feel about this news here, external

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Leicester City have been charged by the Football Association after their 2-1 Premier League defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday.

In a statement, the FA said: "It's alleged that the club failed to ensure its players did not behave in an improper way around the 93rd minute."

The Foxes have until 5 September to provide a response.

After the match, referee David Coote left the field to a chorus of boos from the Leicester fans, who felt the hosts should have been awarded a late chance to equalise from the penalty spot when Ezri Konsa upended Jamie Vardy - although the veteran striker appeared to be just offside when Bilal El Khannouss played the ball.

"It's a tough one to take," said boss Steve Cooper, who was also unhappy with Coote's decision to award Villa a free-kick for Oliver Skipp's challenge on Ollie Watkins before the visitors' opener.

"It's something you have to contend with, but you take a deep breath and accept that’s how it is.

"We’ve seen more than enough in the three performances to feel like we're going to be OK [in the Premier League]. We’re disappointed with the defeat, but if we stay as we are and improve in areas we want to, we’ll be all right."