Liverpool will be aiming to keep pace with Premier League leaders Manchester City with a win over Leicester City at Anfield on Thursday night.
The midweek set of fixtures in the Premier League will continue on Thursday night, and title hopefuls Liverpool will be in action at Anfield as they gear up to take on Leicester City.
Liverpool are on a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions currently, with their last defeat coming in late December last year. The Reds defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 in their previous Premier League encounter before the winter break. They followed it up with a victory over Cardiff City in the FA Cup by the same scoreline this past weekend.
Liverpool are trailing leaders Manchester City by nine points heading into the game, with the gap likely to extend to 12 if the champions beat Brentford. So there is no more room for error for Jurgen Klopp’s side, although they do have a game in hand to help shorten the gap. But things will not be easy against a Leicester City outfit motivated to turn things around.
The Foxes are without a win in their last three games in all competitions and were hammered 4-1 by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. It has led to intense pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers and his players to spark a reversal of fortunes at the earliest. The Foxes are currently tenth in the league standings, and a tilt at the top four or even the top six seems a distant prospect.
But the fact that they ran Liverpool close in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in December and then beat the Reds 1-0 in the Premier League should fill them with confidence ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and has trained with the team over the past couple of days, making himself available for selection. However, Sadio Mane is unlikely to be involved. Captain Jordan Henderson is also a major doubt for Liverpool due to a back issue he suffered in the cup tie.
Join us LIVE as the boss previews tomorrow night’s meeting with @LCFC in the @PremierLeague ?#LIVLEI
https://t.co/1KCrPa9Nga— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 9, 2022
Jurgen Klopp will field his strongest possible lineup as he looks to stay in touch with the Premier League leaders with a win. Alisson Becker is the undisputed starter in goal for Liverpool. The Brazilian will be shielded by the centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson slot in as the full-backs and operate as primary chance-creators for Liverpool.
In midfield, Brazilian enforcer Fabinho is expected to return after sitting out of the cup tie over the weekend. He should replace Henderson, while Thiago Alcantara could also be in line for a start. Veteran midfielder James Milner could take up the third slot to add more steel to the centre of the park. Young Harvey Elliott, who returned from an injury last time out, should get minutes from the bench again.
With Salah back from national team duty and training with the team, he is expected to start in his customary position on the right flank. Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota will make up the rest of the frontline, while January signing Luis Diaz could make his Premier League debut with a cameo in the second half.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Thiago, Fabinho, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Jota
Leicester City
Brendan Rodgers has several injury issues to contend with for the trip to Anfield. Leicester will still be without Jamie Vardy, Jonny Evans, Wesley Fofana and Timothy Castagne, all of whom are injured. Ryan Bertrand, too, has been ruled out of the contest due to a knee issue that required surgery.
Having shipped four goals against a team from a lower division, Leicester might opt to revert to a three-man defensive system in the hope of tightening things up. Kasper Schmeichel is a guaranteed starter between the sticks for the visitors, while the trio of James Justin, Jannik Vestergaard and Caglar Soyuncu should form the backline, with the latter looking for redemption after his shoddy display in the last game.
Wilfred Ndidi should hold down the fort in the middle of the park for Leicester while his partner, Youri Tielemans, tries to provide the forward thrust. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should get the nod as the lone attacking midfielder for the Foxes as he looks for ways to exploit the spaces between the lines in the final third. James Maddison can be a backup option from the bench.
Up top, with Vardy out, there is no choice but to go with the strike partnership of Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka. Ayoze Perez and Harvey Barnes will provide cover from the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Schmeichel; Justin, Vestergaard, Soyuncu; Pereira, Tielemans, Ndidi, Thomas; Dewsbury-Hall; Iheanacho, Daka
Key Stats
- Liverpool have lost their last two Premier League games against Leicester, last losing three top-flight games in a row against the Foxes back in November 1963.
- No team has done the Premier League double versus Liverpool since West Ham and Manchester United achieved the feat in 2015-16.
- Against no side has Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp lost more Premier League games than Leicester (4, level with Manchester City).
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 14 Premier League home games, winning each of the last five.
- Leicester have gone seven away matches without a win in all competitions, conceding 21 goals (D3, L4).
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is still coming to terms with the Afcon final ? pic.twitter.com/nwJHQNO6jb
— GOAL (@goal) February 9, 2022
Following the heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Senegal in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations 2022, Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has returned to Liverpool swiftly and has resumed training to make himself available for the game against Leicester. The 29-year-old is currently the top goalscorer in the Premier League and was in scintillating form before going to the AFCON.
With the cloud of the AFCON defeat still hanging over his head, it is important that Salah puts that disappointment behind him and focuses on his performances between now and the rest of the season, starting with the contest against Leicester City.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-0 Leicester City
Leicester City may have beaten Liverpool in the Premier League after Christmas but based on their current form, they are unlikely to stand a chance on their trip to Anfield. Leicester City are all over the place defensively and were made to pay by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. Liverpool have Mohamed Salah back and motivated, and Diogo Jota has been in fine form of late. It is hard to see this one go any other way apart from a win for the Reds at Anfield.
