Leicester City are back in Premier League action against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
The Foxes kicked off the Ruud van Nistelrooy era in style earlier this week, with Leicester City beating West Ham United 3-1.
It was an excellent showing from Ruud on his managerial debut in the dugout, making some big selection calls that paid off.
After beating the Hammers, Leicester climbed up to 14th in the Premier League table going into the latest round of fixtures.
However, Leicester are by no means out of the woods yet when it comes to avoiding the drop and will need positive results in their upcoming fixtures, especially as they have to face Liverpool and Manchester City in late December.
Seeing off Brighton is going to be easier said than done though, especially if you take Paul Merson’s word for it.
Paul Merson working for Sky Sports TV during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 4, 2022...
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Paul Merson makes Brighton vs Leicester score prediction
Facundo Buonanotte will miss Brighton vs Leicester as he cannot play against his parent club.
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The Argentine has been so important for the Midlands side this term and his absence will greatly weaken their chances of beating Brighton.
The Seagulls are fifth in the division right now and when speaking to Sportskeeda, Merson has backed them to secure the three points at the Amex.
He said: “What a phenomenal result for Leicester the other day. How did that happen, I don’t know though! I don’t think Brighton are as naive as West Ham.
“With the passing and movement Brighton have, I can’t see anything but a win for them here. That win over West Ham has papered over the cracks at Leicester.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great result. But it also gives them a false sense of security. Leicester weren’t even that great, I don’t know how they ended up winning 3-1! There’s no doubt that Leicester rode their luck en route to that win. “
Merson predicts Brighton to beat Leicester 3-1 on Sunday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Interim Head Coach of Manchester United, reacts as he makes his way down the tunnel at half time during the Premier League mat...
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Paul Merson makes Leicester City relegation claim
Should Leicester indeed lose on Sunday, there is a chance they will be sucked firmly into the relegation battle once more.
There are now four points separating them and the relegation zone with teams such as Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers looking in much worse shape right now.
However, when making his score prediction for the weekend, Merson suggested he would be ‘shocked’ if Van Nistelrooy’s side stayed up this season.
He added: “The big problem with them is that when they get beat, they get completely blown away. I just find that trend worrying, that’s their problem.
“This was quite evident in the games against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. I’d be shocked if Leicester stay up, I don’t see that happening at all. Conceding 20 shots in a game and winning every week is going to be hard. Brighton could rip them to shreds in this clash.”
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