Look ahead: Leicester City v Liverpool
By Zach Jevne
Three more points are on the table this Monday night for Liverpool and Leicester City with both teams desperately needing the win. Liverpool’s slim Champions League hopes are still on the line , while Leicester are trying to avoid relegation, sitting in 19th place with 30 points with three matches to play.
WHAT’S AT STAKE:
As mentioned, this fixture comes down to placement on the Premier League table and Monday’s tilt reeks of desperation with both teams attempting a last-ditch effort to secure goals that neither fan base could of envisioned back in August.
Liverpool remain in fifth place with 62 points. Newcastle and Manchester United finished the week tied with 66 points and will secure each’s position in Champions League next season by not dropping any points in the last three games.
Leicester City also needs help to avoid relegation after Leeds drew with Newcastle on Saturday to give them 31 points, while Everton are 17th with 32 points.
Klopp said Liverpool should “be ready for a proper fight” against Leicester, who “needs all the points they can get.”
“I expect a super difficult, super intense match,” the Reds boss predicted.
RECENT FORM:
Liverpool enters the match on its best stretch of the year and off a nine-day break that saw numerous players jet to Barcalona for some time away from the pitch. Winners of six straight, including two away from Anfield, the Reds have no choice but to continue this form if they want to give themselves a chance for a top-4 spot.
"Klopp also spoke of how this recent run of form has been “a fresh start” for the squad since deciding to make certain changes when the old way of doing things from recent years clearly was no longer working. The results from those changes have, “been a breathe of fresh air, for not just the players but for all of us.”“Sometimes it’s big things that need changing but a lot of times it’s just little things,” Klopp said.“We wanted to do some different football things but it’s also about intensity, it’s about counter-pressing. One good thing of this season is that changes needed to be made even if they maybe were a bit late.”"
Leicester enters on an extremely bad run, having won once since Feb. 11 (2-1 vs Wolves, April 22). Losers of nine of the last 12 league matches, a silver lining remains with the Foxes recent home record versus Liverpool.
Leicester won 1-0 at King Power Stadium on Dec. 28, 2021 and 3-1 on Feb. 13, 2021. The Reds’ last trip to King Power, however, was a 3-1 Community Shield win against Manchester City prior to the start of the season.
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT:
We won’t see Bobby Firmino, who remains out with injury. Klopp said he is “nearly there” so we can hope to see him for the last two games.
Mo Salah will hope to find the back of the net, which would put him ahead of Steven Gerrard on the club’s all-time goalscorer’s list. They are currently tied for fifth.
Odds also suggest another James Milner sighting as the 37-year old’s time with the club comes to a close. Introduced after the 70th minute in all six matches on the current winning streak, Milner has provided dependability in the midfield to close out the match.