Liverpool will be aiming to continue their perfect start to the season as they travel to the King Power Stadium to take on in-form Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
Jürgen Klopp's Reds currently sit pretty at the top of the table having claimed three consecutive victories. Meanwhile, the Foxes will be confident of continuing their positive form having notched three consecutive victories in all competitions.
Quick Liverpool start
The Anfield faithful will be buoyant as they head to the East-Midlands. Beginning the season with a 4-0 thumping of West Ham United, the Reds have followed that up with hard-fought wins over Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion.
As a result, they have an excellent chance to begin a season with four league victories – a feat that they have not managed to achieve in 28 years.
It is sure to be a huge test for Claude Puel’s men, then. However, judging from their form this season so far, the Foxes should put up a considerable fight. The 2015/16 champions were unfortunate to lose Manchester United on the opening day but have bounced back well with victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton. They now sit seventh in the Premier League table.
Puel’s troops also swept aside Fleetwood Town 4-0 to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening. Another victory against Liverpool would be the first time the Foxes have won three consecutive top-flight matches since December 2017.
An away day to fear
Despite Liverpool’s impressive all-time record between the two sides, having claimed 47 wins to Leicester’s 39 and 24 draws, the King Power Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground in recent years.
Leicester have won on home soil in the past three seasons, scoring seven goals in the process, despite one of those being a 2-0 victory in the Carabao Cup last season. The Merseysiders managed to break that run last season in the league but were made to fight hard for their 3-2 victory.
Mohamed Salah hit the opener for Liverpool in that victory and he will certainly be a man to keep an eye on having notched three goals in only two games against Leicester. He also scored a brace as Liverpool won the last clash between the two 2-1 at Anfield.
As a result, the Foxes will be striving to keep an excellent defensive run continuing at home having kept six clean sheets in their last 11 Premier League clashes on home soil against this weekend’s opponents if they are to have any chance of claiming a positive result.
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The most obvious absentee that Leicester will have to contend with is Jamie Vardy. The forward will serve the last of his three-match ban against the Reds and Leicester are sure to miss their speedy forward. The 31-year-old has had a hand in eight goals in as many games against the Reds, including seven strikes in his last five games.
Fellow forward Shinji Okazaki made his first start of the season against Fleetwood so is now firmly back in contention. Summer signing Çağlar Söyüncü was struggling with fitness issues following his arrival at the King Power Stadium and made an appearance for the club’s under-23s in mid-week but could potentially play against Liverpool. Elsewhere, Matty James remains ruled out until at least mid-September with an Achilles injury.
In regard to Liverpool, Klopp only has Dejan Lovren and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to concern himself with. The duo are ruled out with a pelvis and a cruciate ligament injury respectively.
One man who will be keen to have an impact on the game is Xherdan Shaqiri. The Swiss has not made a start for Liverpool since his move from Stoke City but scored home and away against Leicester last season.
Predicted Line-Ups
Leicester City: Schmeichel; Amartey, Maguire, Morgan, Chilwell; Ghezzal, Mendy, N’didi, Gray; Maddison, Iheanacho.
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane.