Liverpool started the second half of the Premier League schedule with a sharp 3-1 win in Birmingham on Boxing Day Monday against Aston Villa. Now they turn their attention to Leicester City for a Friday night kick-off from Anfield at 20:00 GMT.
The Reds go into the match winners of 3 straight Premier League matches going back to November 6th's triumphant game at Tottenham. Friday's match is the second of three matches the Reds have in a busy first week back to Premier League action after the World Cup break.
Liverpool come into this game having climbed up to 6th in the league standings. Leicester City have also dug themselves out of an early hole. They are currently 13th but, were in relegation trouble going into November.
Talking Points for Game 15
The big news surrounding Liverpool this week has been the signing of Dutch striker Cody Gakpo. However, he won't be available until Monday's game against Brentford, at the least. In his press conference on Thursday, Jürgen Klopp took it a step further and said that realistically we shouldn't expect to see Gakpo until the FA Cup match against Wolves on January 7th.
For this match, much of the talk has been surrounding the importance of Liverpool to win a 4th consecutive league match. They haven't been able to string a winning streak like this one together in the EPL all season. If they win on Friday night, it will solidify their position in the tight battle for European places.
It is also the first home game since November 12th. Liverpool fans are starved for action at Anfield and Klopp expects a festive atmosphere tomorrow night. He said as much during his press conference at the AXA Training Centre. The Boss said, “I'm pretty sure our people are pretty happy to see us again and I hope we can transform that into a sensational atmosphere. It's a night game obviously, so floodlights on, Anfield rocking.”
Leicester City: Shorthanded Foxes
Friday's opponent, Leicester City are coming into Anfield on the heels of a Boxing Day defeat to Newcastle by the score of 3-0. Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers' team also was on a good run of form going into the World Cup break but, came out flat against the Magpies.
Leicester City, also known as the Foxes, overcame their one slow start in the Premier League and have managed to work their way back into the middle of the table. They will be without star midfielder James Maddison once again, as he is sidelined with a mysterious knee injury.
The team isn't sure how or when Maddison picked up the injury but, it is thought he hurt himself while training with the English National Team in Qatar during the World Cup. Regardless, it's a huge loss for the Foxes and the Reds will need to take advantage of his absence.
Leicester City split their 2 games against Liverpool last year. In fact, nearly a year to the day, the Foxes beat the Reds 1-0 on 28 December 2021 at King Power Stadium in Leicester. Liverpool would return the favor by winning 2-0 at Anfield in February of 2022.
LFC Globe Verdict
Everyone who is a Red is clamoring for Liverpool to win this match. It's the first time they've seen their team at home in over 6 weeks. The team is without any fresh injuries after the Boxing Day game. Klopp even teased the return of Ibrahima Konate from his World Cup recovery period.
Leicester City are a team that are in transition. Their chairman has cut spending this year and even sold their iconic goalkeeper, Kapser Schmeichel on the eve of the new season. They are ripe for a surging Liverpool side to dismantle on Friday night.
Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT from Anfield. Keep it locked on LFC Globe for coverage of the match, expert analysis, and the post-game press conference.