Umbrellas at the ready.

We are off in Leicester.

Jonathan Pearce
Match of the Day commentator

Advent. A time of expectant waiting and preparation.

Leicester fans have been waiting for the successful Champions League autumn campaign to end and, according to so many, the league results to improve after one win in nine free-falling games.

I'm not convinced. There are too many missing factors from last season's success.

But this could be the game to bounce back. City will be badly weakened by self-inflicted suspensions. Four wins in 14 games is dire form. Much will depend on the appetite of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and today's captain Pablo Zabaleta share a kiss in the tunnel as the two sets of players make their way onto the pitch.

Lashing it down in Leicester, Bravo's foot and hand work will need to be at the top of his game today.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on 5 live

In 24 games, Pep Guardiola has played 24 different line-ups. I think he is testing his players and trying to find out the best style of play.

It can be tricky as a player but at the same time it isn't great if you play the same team and shape every single game. As a player, then you think that the manager hasn't done his homework. The players who will get annoyed are players like Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane. They are affected the most when he changes the shape, they are taken away from what they are good at and asked to defend as well. That can be frustrating as a player. 

Image source, Rex Features

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Fifa should consider allowing "four, five or six" substitutes to combat the threat of burnout among players.

The world governing body this week confirmed its wish to expand the World Cup finals to a 48-team competition, comprising 16 groups of three.

Guardiola, 45, says adding games to a busy schedule will "kill the players".

"They are focusing on more and more and more - it affects the quality," the Spaniard added.

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As Leicester try not to become the worst defending champions in Premier League history, I want to know your stories of:

Being on top of the world one day and crying into your porridge the next.

Hit me up on Twitter using #bbcfootball, external or text in on 81111 (UK only). Remember to put names on texts.

Danny Murphy
Former England midfielder on Football Focus

I call it the comfort zone and you don’t consciously go there. I had a situation at Liverpool where Gerard Houllier left me out of the team and said I was in the comfort zone after I got a new contract.

Some of the Leicester lads aren’t putting in the graft they needed to get to that level. It was such a settled team last year. There are so many factors - I still think they can stay up.

Image source, Rex Features

2015, Leicester after 14 games: Points 29, position 2nd.

2016, Leicester after 14 games: Points 13, position 17th.

At the end of last season, Leicester had reached their pinnacle and become Premier League champions. No-one in their wildest dreams predicted that to come true.

Once you reach the top, there is only one way to go. The Foxes were not expected to repeat last season's heroics, but they were not expected to struggle this badly either.

"Not even the big players can win without fight. That is football," said boss Claudio Ranieri.

It's a question of, how do you pick yourselves up after achieving a fairytale?

Lose today and they are very much in for a battle against relegation. A remarkable turnaround.

Now then, what's going on here?

Leicester winger Marc Albrighton is down in the warm-up and is flat on his back as the physio comes on. He lifts Albrighton's leg up before swivelling his body from side to side.

The treatment looks more painful than the problem.

Let's keep an eye and see if the former Aston Villa man makes it to kick-off.

Manager Claudio Ranieri sticks with the same Leicester side that lost to Sunderland last time out, which means Islam Slimani partners Jamie Vardy up front. Still no Kasper Schmeichel.

Leicester XI: Zieler, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, King, Amartey, Albrighton, Slimani, Vardy.

Pep Guardiola has to make enforced changes for Manchester City after last week's shameful scenes at Chelsea which saw Sergio Aguero and Fernandino sent off, so Fernando and Kelechi Iheanacho come in. Full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Bakary Sagna replace Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane, which means a change in the system.

City XI: Bravo, Sagna, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Stones, Fernando, Gundogan, Navas, De Bruyne, Silva, Iheanacho

Image source, Rex Features

What a difference a year makes.

Rewind 12 months and striker Jamie Vardy had just broken Ruud van Nistelrooy's Premier League goalscoring record, as Leicester were joint-top of the table alongside Manchester City.

Although Pep Guardiola's side are still at the right end of the standings, the champions are struggling and it is turning into a season of survival.

Surely they couldn't go down... could they??