Liverpool travel south, after a more than welcome postponement of their Boxing fixture (at home to Leeds). Coronavirus saw that game called off, and Liverpool will now look to overcome Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City, after knocking them out of the League Cup last week.
Leicester will host Liverpool, and do so after a spectacle game away to Manchester City. Leicester fell a 6-3 loss, and will be looking to bounce back, but with just two days in between fixtures. Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy sat as unused subs that day, and they will be at least two players expected to rotate back in. James Justin, Wesley Fofana, Nampalys Mendy and Ricardo Pereira remain injured, with Brendan Rodgers struggling to find a defensive structure to complement their obvious attacking treats. Their own covid cases will again play a part in their team sheet, and it would be a challenge to predict their starting line up.
Liverpool arrive in good overall form, with a recent draw away to Spurs underpinned by coronavirus infections within the squad. Of the players forced to self isolate, Jürgen Klopp will hoping to recall both Virgil Van Dijk and Fabinho to the starting eleven. Thiago Alcantara will probably miss out, with his own isolation perhaps too close to make him viable. Curtis Jones will surely continue his own comeback, and could be a sound option from the bench.
Ibrahima Konaté is continuing to excel when called upon, and he will be vying with Joël Matip and Virgil Van Dijk start this game. Jordan Henderson and Naby Keïta will be looking for starts, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also pushing hard. Up front will see Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane joined by Diogo Jota, with his attacking style of play likely preferred to Firmino’s work ethic.
The festive period is subject to strange results, and the added covid issues will only see further irregularities present themselves. This game is important for both sides, with Brendan Rodgers becoming a real candidate for managerial uncertainty. Klopp needs to keep pace with the brilliance of Manchester City, and each game is now becoming must win for the reds.
Liverpool have a structure, a groove and a will to overcome this season, and this is in stark contrast to Leicesters current form. Brendan Rodgers will be looking for defensive solidity and a Jamie Vardy throwback, if his team is to emerge with even a point. The freshness and ability of the away side will be tough to overcome, and Liverpool probably have too much firepower not to win this game comfortably.
Player to watch – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Score Prediction;
Leicester 1 – 3 Liverpool
