Liverpool vs Leicester City
Premier League football is back with a bang and there’s another post-Christmas cracker for us to look forward to, when Liverpool host Leicester City in the late kick-off on Friday.
Neither club has had the season they expected so far and they had mixed fortunes on their return to action following the winter World Cup in Qatar. The Foxes took a 3-0 Boxing Day drubbing at the hands of Newcastle United while Liverpool picked up three points in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa. That win lifted the Reds to sixth place in the league table, five points behind the Champions League places and a full 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Leicester head coach returns to the club he managed between 2012 and 2015, but he won’t be relishing the prospect right now. After a shocking start to the campaign, an upturn in results has given the 13th placed Foxes a nice four point cushion over the relegation spots, but they need to pull away from any basement scrap sooner rather than later.
With Liverpool desperate to cut the gap to the leading four I suspect the Foxes will have to wait for the new year before they can pick themselves up again.
Talking Points
Konate ready to return for Reds
Liverpool’s trip to Villa Park was a potential banana skin for the Reds but goals from Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic won the three points. Villa striker Ollie Watkins found space to halve the deficit early in the second half and that was the only blot on Liverpool’s performance. Jurgen Klopp is likely to bring centre back Ibrahima Konate back into the side, alongside Van Dijk after the Frenchman missed the Villa clash and Liverpool’s Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City.
Konate’s return will mean Liverpool’s defence will be at full strength, with Alisson Becker in the goals and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson taking the wingback positions. Up front, with Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota sidelined with injury, Mo Salah will start again alongside Darwin Nunez, while Thiago will play alongside Fabinho in midfield and Harvey Elliot and Fabio Carvalho will push for places.
Klopp is keen to strengthen for the second half of the campaign and reports in the UK press suggest he is close to bringing Dutch midfielder Cody Gakpo to the club; the World Cup sensation is in Liverpool for a medical and the deal could be completed early January. And the Reds seem to be at the front of the queue for another World Cup breakout star and may be ready to meet the 106m Euros release clause for Benfica’s Argentine striker Enzo Fernandez.
Leicester short on numbers
There are few more miserable ways to spend Boxing Day than by watching your team go 3-0 down within half an hour and then fail to make any inroads for the next hour. It was an unwelcome blow to the Foxes after their Premier League 2022 results had picked up nicely before the break. And, to make matters worse, Leicester’s injury problems were compounded when utility player Dennis Praet was taken off after just 17 minutes when Joelinton caught him on the knee. Praet joins Ricardo Pereira, Jonny Evans, James Maddison and James Justin in the physio room, and that means experienced campaigner Marc Albrighton might make an appearance.
With Maddison sidelined and Youri Tielemens subject to transfer speculation, Harvey Barnes, with six goals, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will carry the creative threat for the Foxes and Jamie Vardy is primed to start up front.
History
Liverpool have won 19 of the 35 encounters with Leicester in the Premier League era and are unbeaten in the last 12 meetings at Anfield. The Foxes have beaten the Reds ten times, the last occasion being a year ago on 28th December 2021 at the King Power Stadium as Ademola Lookman scored the only goal of the game; but Liverpool exacted their revenge with a 2-0 win at Anfield in February as Diogo Jota helped himself to a brace.
In terms of recent form them is nothing to choose between these two teams, each winning four and losing two of the last six games. But two of Leicester’s wins came against lower league opposition in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool’s home record is five wins, two draws and a defeat while the Foxes have won three and lost five of their away games.
Betting Tip
At SBOTOP odds of 1.28 the Reds look pretty much nailed on for a win, though the Foxes can be dangerous as their pre- World Cup pick up in form shows. But at 8.44 to win and 5.22 to draw Rodgers will have to pull off a tactical masterclass to take something away from Anfield.
The Premier League 2022 betting odds have pretty much ruled out a title win for the Reds but they simply must finish in the top four to avoid losing more ground on Manchester City.
Klopp’s men have scored three or more goals in their last four victories and I expect them to be ruthless against the wounded Foxes.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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