Liverpool vs Leicester: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Liverpool host Leicester City in the Premier League on Boxing Day in their final home game of the calendar year.

The Reds are guaranteed to enter the new year as leaders after their own 6-3 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend but have the opportunity to extend their four-point lead on Thursday when the struggling Foxes visit Merseyside.

Arne Slot’s side have still lost just once in all competitions this term and are now the leading favorites to Premier League title. They have won their last four meetings with Leicester and are likely to make it a fifth successive victory at Anfield.

The Foxes enjoyed a bit of a new managerial surge under Ruud van Nistelrooy, securing lucky but important results against West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, reality set in in their last two away games, with 4-0 and 3-0 defeats to Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Here 90 minutes a guide to Liverpool in relation to Leicester.

Liverpool vs Leicester H2H record (last five matches)

Current form (all competitions)

Liverpool have seen the likes of Alisson and Diogo Jota return in the past few weeks and now have an almost fully prepared squad heading into the clash with Leicester. The Reds are likely to be without Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate, but should have the rest of their squad available.

Jota could earn his first start since October on Thursday after coming off the bench once again against Spurs. With games coming thick and fast, the Portuguese could replace Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz would move to the left wing.

Kostas Tsimikas could be another to make the starting line-up and offer Andy Robertson a rest, while Curtis Jones will battle it out with Dominik Szoboszlai for a place in the starting XI.

Predicted line-up of Liverpool against Leicester (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Iota.

Leicester’s alarming defensive record in the last two matches coincided with Mads Hermansen’s injury. The excellent goalkeeper was withdrawn at half-time against Newcastle, and the Foxes conceded six in the ensuing 135 minutes. He could return against Liverpool, but former Red Danny Ward will start otherwise.

Leicester full-back Jakub Stolarczyk could also return from a long-term injury at Anfield. Wilfred Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, Odsonne Edouard and Abdul Fatawu are currently out of action for the Foxes.

Jamie Vardy has drawn goals in the last two times but is enjoying an excellent result against the Reds. He scored ten in 17 games with Liverpool, four of which were at Anfield.

Predicted line-up of Leicester against Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Ward; Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Skipp, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannous, Mavididi; Vardy.

Only Tottenham have scored more than Liverpool’s 37 in the Premier League this season, the exact number Leicester have conceded. Wolverhampton Wanderers are the only team with a worse defensive record than the Foxes.

25 points separate the two teams and a red-hot Liverpool will fancy their chances of upending Leicester on Boxing Day. They have been surprisingly porous in recent weeks without Konate at the back, but their goalscoring form is very impressive.

Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a number of duels with Liverpool during his Manchester United days, but he could be in for a long afternoon at Anfield on the touchline this Thursday.

Prediction: Liverpool 4-1 Leicester

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, RUMORS AND GOSSIP