Foxes set to make more noise in Gameweek 18

Leicester City get the Matchday 18 action under way when they host Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday.

It’s been quite a turnaround for the Foxes since the appointment of Claude Puel and they now occupy 8th spot in the table after recording 5 wins from 8 matches at a rate of 2.13 points per game. This is a marked improvement on the Frenchman’s time in the Southampton hot-seat where he won just 12 of his 38 Premier League games and earned the nickname ‘Whispering’ Claude due to his quiet demeanour at press conferences.

Riyad Mahrez seems to have rediscovered some of his best form and he already has 5 goals and 4 assists to show for his efforts this season, so he is sure to catch the eye of a few Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of the showdown with the Eagles.

Palace moved off the foot of the table after scoring 2 late goals to clinch a 2-1 victory over Watford on Tuesday but our GW18 goal projections suggest that they will have their work cut out to repeat such a feat here.

Arsenal look to have the pick of the weekend fixtures despite the fact that they they have only collected 2 of a possible 9 points on offer, a sequence that has resulted in them not only falling 19 points behind leaders’ Manchester City but also slipping down to 7th spot in the table.

City themselves will be looking to record a 16th straight Premier League victory when they entertain Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad. However, if there is one team that can stop them it is probably Spurs. The North London side took 4 points off Pep Guardiola’s charges last season so they are unlikely to be overawed.

A revitalised Everton wrap things up in the Monday Night Football when Swansea City visit Goodison Park. The early signs suggest that Sam Allardyce is already working his magic, so don’t rule out another clean sheet for the Toffees against a side that is really struggling to score goals. Stats from WhoScored reveal that the Swans are averaging just 1.9 shots on target per game, a figure they will need to improve on quickly if they are to have any chance of avoiding the drop.

It promises to be another fascinating weekend with plenty of managers getting vocal while patrolling their touchline areas – will Puel have plenty to shout about?