Preview: Liverpool vs. Leicester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Sweeping speech each obstacle successful their path, Premier League rubric favourites Liverpool resume their pursuit of stardom astatine 8pm connected Boxing Day, erstwhile Leicester City marque the jaunt to Anfield.

The Reds closed retired the pre-Christmas enactment with a breathtaking 6-3 triumph implicit Tottenham Hotspur connected December 22, portion Ruud van Nistelrooy's men were humbled astatine location to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Match preview

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A gung-ho Tottenham broadside with a depleted defence vs. a rampant Liverpool squad boasting 1 of the top attackers to ever grace the Premier League - it was ne'er going to beryllium dull was it?

Both backlines ended up handing retired aboriginal Christmas presents astatine the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium connected December 22, but determination was ne'er immoderate superior uncertainty astir wherever the 3 points were headed, arsenic a Mohamed Salah-inspired Reds portion tore Ange Postecoglou and his beloved precocious enactment to shreds.

Chelsea's gully with Everton earlier successful the time meant that Liverpool would beryllium guaranteed to walk Christmas Day astatine the acme of the standings careless of events successful North London, but they near thing to chance, and the shimmering Salah made some nine and Premier League history with his quartet of contributions.

Four points amended disconnected than Chelsea and six wide of Arsenal, some of whom person played a crippled more, Arne Slot's juggernaut person immoderate Merseyside wrongs to close successful the coming months; connected the 7 erstwhile occasions that Liverpool person been apical of the Premier League table astatine Christmas, they person lone won the rubric once.

Sterner challenges and bumps connected the roadworthy volition inevitably travel successful 2025, but the Reds person present gone a staggering 21 matches without losing crossed each competitions portion netting astatine slightest 2 goals successful 12 of their past 13 contests, making up for immoderate caller antiaircraft lapses.

Each of Liverpool's past 9 Premier League games has seen the league leaders nett astatine slightest twice, but portion are fewer blots connected Slot's first-season notebook, his broadside person present conceded aggregate goals successful each of their past 3 top-flight matches, 8 successful full crossed their past 270 minutes of league football.

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No alien to making Premier League nets bulge himself during his playing heyday, Leicester brag Van Nistelrooy alternatively watched connected with a forlorn look astatine his Foxes broadside shipped 3 astatine location to Wolves, who experienced the aforesaid caller manager bounce that their opponents did conscionable a fewer weeks ago.

Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes and Matheus Cunha each breached Leicester's nett earlier fractional time, condemning Van Nistelrooy to successive defeats aft his squad were besides blown to smithereens astatine the location of Newcastle United successful the mediate of the month.

Leicester's location humiliation did not plunge them into the driblet zone, but the 17th-placed visitors are present conscionable 2 points wide of caller foes Wolves portion besides holding the aforesaid buffer implicit Ipswich Town, who thankfully for the Foxes indispensable spell to Arsenal connected Friday night.

Van Nistelrooy's aboriginal efforts to enactment up a porous Leicester defence are yet to carnivore fruit, and the Foxes get astatine Anfield having not kept a azygous cleanable expanse successful immoderate of their past 11 matches, portion shipping astatine slightest 3 goals successful their past 3 games connected the road.

A 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Liverpool successful the 2023-24 EFL Cup besides marked a 4th consecutive decision for Leicester against the existent league leaders, and portion the Foxes conquered the Reds arsenic precocious arsenic December 2021 astatine the King Power, they person to question arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2000 for their astir caller triumph astatine Anfield.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool signifier (all competitions):

Leicester City Premier League form:

Team News

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It is arsenic you were regarding Liverpool's fittingness concern aft their chaotic Tottenham triumph, and Slot should lone beryllium missing Ibrahima Konate (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring) for the sojourn of Leicester; neither is expected backmost earlier 2025.

With astir each subordinate astatine his disposal, the Dutchman tin beryllium expected to chop and alteration successful each areas of the field, perchance introducing Jarell Quansah and Kostas Tsimikas into an progressively permeable backline.

Despite excelling astatine the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Dominik Szoboszlai mightiness beryllium axed from the archetypal XI excessively - helium is 1 of a fistful of players 1 yellowish paper distant from incurring a one-match suspension, a database that besides includes Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez.

Leicester seemingly emerged from their dense decision to Leicester without immoderate caller wounded concerns, but Jamie Vardy is present revealed to beryllium suffering from a knock, and Van Nistelrooy whitethorn instrumentality nary risks implicit the striker fixed his age.

First-choice goalkeeper Mads Hermansen missed retired with a groin occupation again astatine the weekend, and helium is besides facing a contention against clip to beryllium his fittingness for this one.

As Jakub Stolarczyk is inactive gathering up his minutes with the Under-21s, erstwhile Liverpool antheral Danny Ward seems acceptable to proceed successful betwixt the sticks for Thursday's game, contempt being booed by his ain fans during an error-strewn show astatine the weekend.

Ricardo Pereira (thigh), Wilfred Ndidi (thigh) and Abdul Fatawu (knee) stay retired of contention for the visitors.

Liverpool imaginable starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Jota; Nunez

We say: Liverpool 4-1 Leicester City

After a mates of antiaircraft calamities, Leicester brag Van Nistlerooy mightiness see sacrificing an attacker to adhd an other assemblage successful defence connected Boxing Day, not that it should bash overmuch bully for precise long.

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