Liverpool vs Leicester City
Date: 05/10/2019
K/O: 15:00
Venue: Anfield
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Brendan Rodgers will return to Anfield for the first time since his departure in 2015 as his youthful and in-form Leicester City side face dominant league leaders Liverpool in both teams’ final match before the season’s second international break.
Despite not being broadcast on British television, this game will surely be the most vital Premier League fixture this weekend. A top-four clash between two teams brimming with energy and optimism, the return of one manager to his old club, and the chance for a team hoping to break into the top echelons of the Premier League to truly prove their worth – there are more than enough stories that accompany the match without even breaking into the football side of it. And it only gets more tantalising when you do.
On the surface of it, Liverpool look to be outright favourites and securing the three points should not even pose a problem. They have won all seven of their league games this season, with some outstanding statistics and authority and confidence in their style of play. But there are issues bubbling for Jurgen Klopp – highlighted all too clearly in their previous two fixtures.
Last weekend, Liverpool needed a goalkeeping error from Dean Henderson to come out on top against Sheffield United, who did extremely well to hold off the Red’s potent attack for most of the match, but Liverpool seemed desperate to waste the chances placed before them. Even more recently, problems with defensive concentration seem to have cropped up again after Red Bull Salzburg pulled back a 3-0 deficit to 3-3 before Liverpool restored their lead. It was a scare for Reds’ fans, and if they face issues such as these against even harder opposition in Leicester it may not end up going their way.
Meanwhile, the Foxes seem to be improving with every performance. Having won four out of their last five games, Leicester look to be gaining momentum with every goal they score – and that could be quite something after a 5-0 trouncing of Newcastle last Sunday. With a defence as solid as Liverpool’s (both teams have only conceded five goals this season), a midfield brimming with creativity, and an in-form strike force in the form of every top-six team’s worst nightmare, Jamie Vardy, Leicester surely pose the biggest threat that Anfield has seen this season.
Exploiting the problems that Liverpool still seem to have (which are very, very few) will be a difficult task, and this will likely be Leicester’s hardest game of the season, but if they are truly seeking to break into the top four then an impressive performance here will be critical. The signs seem good, and last season they were the only team other than Manchester City to take a point away from Anfield, but these are big ‘if’s and the challenge they face is an extraordinary one.
Rodgers will hope only for a performance worthy of his European aspirations. Taking points will be an unparalleled success. For Klopp, anything but a win will be failure. The stage is set for one of the competition’s most crucial games so far, now we can only wait and see how it plays out.
Team News
Liverpool
Xherdan Shaqiri remains out with a calf injury and will not feature for Liverpool. Joel Matip sustained a knock against Sheffield United and missed their Champions League fixture and will be a doubt for Saturday’s fixture. Goalkeeper Allison has returned to full training and could return to action against Leicester.
Leicester
Leicester have no new injuries or doubts for their first-team squad.
Predicted Starting XIs
Liverpool (4-3-3): Adrián; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Leicester City (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Ricardo, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Tielemans, Ndidi, Choudhury; Perez, Vardy, Maddison
Score Prediction: Liverpool 2 – 1 Leicester City
This will be, without a doubt, a spectacle of a game. Two-sided, fast-paced, brimming with energy. But Liverpool are an uncontainable beast at home and, despite what I expect to be an excellent Leicester performance, they have too much talent in their front three to lose in such a heated battle. They will win by a goal – be that 1-0, 2-1, or maybe even 3-2.
