Leicester City vs. Liverpool
Venue: Selhurst Stadium
Kick off: 5:30pm
Liverpool will look to end a run of four games without a win in all competitions when they travel to Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday (today).
The match comes just four days after the two teams locked horns in the EFL Cup, with Leicester emerging as 2-0 winners on home soil to book their spot in the round of 16.
There is no getting away from the fact that Leicester have struggled for results in the early stages of the 2017-18 campaign, but the Foxes have had a very tough run of fixtures.
Craig Shakespeare’s side lost 4-3 at Arsenal on the opening night of the new season, but did return to winning ways one week later courtesy of a 2-0 success at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Foxes then lost at Manchester United and at home to Chelsea, before picking up a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield Town last weekend. A total of just four points from five matches has left the former English champions in 15th spot in the table.
Meanwhile, Liverpool collected seven points from their first three matches of the 2017-18 Premier League season, and everything was rosy at the club when they recorded a thumping 4-0 win over Arsenal on August 27.
Since then, however, Jurgen Klopp’s side have failed to win in four matches across three separate competitions. The Reds were thumped 5-0 at Manchester City after the international break, before drawing back-to-back games against Sevilla and Burnley in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.
Tuesday’s EFL Cup defeat at Leicester led to more criticism of Klopp, who has seemingly failed to address the defensive issues that are threatening to cost Liverpool the chance of a successful season once again.
It is worth mentioning that Liverpool have won 132 points in 73 league games under Klopp, which is nine points fewer than in the same period under Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked as head coach in October 2015.
A total of eight points from five matches has left them in eighth position in the table – five points behind Manchester duo Manchester United and Manchester City.
Despite their troubles, Liverpool have actually only lost one of their last seven Premier League away matches, and a positive result this weekend would lead them nicely into upcoming league games against Newcastle United and Man United.
Leicester possible XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Mahrez, Ndidi, King, Albrighton; Vardy, Okazaki.
Liverpool possible XI: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Can, Coutinho, Firmino, Salah.