Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi says he never liked being compared to predecessor N'Golo Kante.

Kante helped the Foxes to the 2015-16 Premier League title before leaving for Chelsea. Ndidi joined six months later.

"It used to irritate me but it's football and I completely understand the fans because they love to find something to talk about," the 24-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.

"I only wanted to be Wilfred Ndidi and not someone else.

"I focus on myself, I am always critical of myself, I do my best to improve as a footballer game by game and giving my best for my club.

"The comparison with others, about who is better or if Kante and I play alike, is irrelevant to me. I think all that comparison was for those who love to talk and I didn't focus on it.

"You're comfortable when you are yourself and not listening or trying to be something you are not."

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Palace have only won two of their past nine Premier League fixtures.

Their only clean sheet in 19 top-flight games came in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal in January.

They have failed to score more than once in any of their last six league matches.

Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho has scored 13 goals in his last 13 appearances.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has scored five Premier League goals against Leicester, more than versus any other side.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "Brendan [Rodgers] is doing extremely well at Leicester.

"I think he must be very happy to have been given that job and assembled the group of players that he has and to be enjoying so much success with them.

"I think, if other clubs want to tempt him away, it will not be easy and as simple as suggesting that historically we happen to be a bit of a bigger club than the one you are at.

"It will be a question of having to persuade him that the future will be much better for him if he moves and that will not necessarily be an easy thing to do as what he is doing at Leicester, the players he has at Leicester, the support he has at Leicester, the way the future looks for Leicester, all of these things are very positive aspects."

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Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers thinks last season's experience can help them qualify for the Champions League.

A poor run of form after the first lockdown last year saw the Foxes drop out of the top four.

He said: "It's just experience, a lot of the players didn't have the experience of being consistently up there last season. We have evolved over the course of the season.

"It doesn't make it any easier, if we want to arrive where we want to we have to win games.

"But you can see the control and maturity in the team is improving all the time and we're playing at a good level."

Leicester's 3-0 win over West Brom on Thursday ensured they avoided three consecutive top-flight defeats for the first time since February 2019.

They are three points shy of matching last season's final total of 59.

Trevor Gladwin: This lifelong Chelsea fan really hopes Leicester are one of them - such a joy to watch all season long. Qualification would hopefully keep this amazing squad together!

Jamie Goode: This is now the time for Leicester to learn from previous years and not let the nerves get to them, hopefully this means they will be competitive top six, year in year out. Chances of Leicester catching Utd too?

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A good story here from Northern Ireland with a team in Irish Cup action tomorrow - 416 days since their last league game.

Annagh United were promoted from the third tier when the 2019-20 season was cut short, but the second division hasn't happened this season.

They go to Windsor Park to face Linfield, Northern Ireland's most successful team.

Manager Ciaran McGurgan has not had the opposition watched or come up with a game plan to stop them.

"Chances of beating them? Honestly? I would say zero," he said.

Read more here.

Who do you think will take the final two Champions League spots (behind the Manchester clubs) this season?

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BBC Radio 5 Live

There is live radio commentary of this game on BBC Radio 5 Live/on the top of this page.

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Leicester City name the same 11 and bench from Thursday's 3-0 win over West Brom.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Fofana, Evans, Soyuncu, Castagne, Tielemans, Ndidi, Thomas, Maddison, Iheanacho, Vardy.

Subs: Ward, Pereira, Albrighton, Amartey, Choudhury, Mendy, Praet, Perez, Under.

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One change for Crystal Palace from the 11 that began the 4-1 home loss to Chelsea on 10 April as Gary Cahill misses out through injury with Scott Dann coming in.

Nathaniel Clyne is among the substitutes and has not played for the Eagles since the 3-0 loss to Burnley on 13 February. Michy Batshuayi is also back in the squad after being unable to play against his parent club Chelsea.

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kouyate, Dann, Van Aanholt, Ayew, Milivojevic, Riedewald, Eze, Benteke, Zaha.

Subs: Butland, Clyne, Mitchell, Kelly, Townsend, Schlupp, McCarthy, Mateta, Batshuayi.

Crystal Palace, sitting in 13th, have nothing left to play for really. They are 11 points clear of the relegation zone and eight points off the top half.

I'm not even going to do a screengrab of the table because there's nothing to see.

A Champions League spot is Leicester's to lose at the moment.

Although we all said that last season too.

Win tonight and they move seven points clear of fifth-placed West Ham.

To be sure of a Champions League spot they need top three. (If Chelsea win the Champions League and Arsenal win the Europa League - and neither finish in the top four - then fourth-place becomes a Europa League spot.)

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Yep that's right, another Premier League game.

This time it's Leicester v Crystal Palace.