Liverpool vs Leicester Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Haydn Cunningham Dec 22, 2015 @ 05:21 pm

Liverpool continue to show their inconsistency and despite a improved spell of form under Jurgen Klopp, they've now endured the worst run of results under the German. They're now winless in 4 games stretching back to the start of December and have picked up some incredibly disappointing defeats. A home draw against West Brom has been their only point in the league this month and also the only time they've scored since the thumping 6-1 victory against Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup. Klopp was known for making the Iduna Signal Arena as a fortress for Borussia Dortmund but he has had mixed results at Anfield. In 8 home games under Klopp they've won 3, drawn 3 and lost 2. Liverpool currently sit in 9th position and the gap between them and the Champions League places increased after the latest 3-0 defeat to Watford. Kamikaze defending saw Odion Ighalo notch a brace and an injury sustained to Martin Skrtel was also a bitter pill to swallow for Liverpool supporters who would've been hoping their injury jinx has ended.

It will be 3 months to the day when Leicester City travel to Anfield that they last lost in the league. A 5-2 defeat to Arsenal marked their worst defeat of the season, however it has been their only league defeat this season. Many predicted that this would be the month were Leicester were exposed and started to slide down the table but they've carried on their phenomenal performances with victories against Chelsea and then most recently winning at Everton. Claudio Ranieri and his side then had the pleasure of sitting back and watching their nearest rivals going head-to-head as Arsenal just managed to see of Manchester City 2-1. A draw would've been the preferred result but they still find themselves 2 points ahead of Arsenal and 6 ahead of Manchester City heading into Christmas. Despite conceding the most goals in the top 10 of the Premier League, it is their prowess going forward that has seen them head the table as they're the leagues top goal scorers with 37 goals in 17 league games. Riyad Mahrez took his league tally to 13 with a couple of penalties against Everton. Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have contributed 28 of Leicester's 37 goals in the league this season.

Goals could well be on show when these two sides meet if their past matches this season are anything to go by. There has been 3 or more goals scored in all of Leicester's past 7 away games in the Premier League with Leicester scoring at least 3 goals in 4 of those matches. If Liverpool's defenders weren't already quaking in their boots at that statistic then their only performances shouldn't give them too much confidence either. They've conceded at least 2 goals in their last 3 league matches and are now without the injury Martin Skrtel or Dejan Lovren.

Jurgen Klopp has a serious predicament about what to do in central defence with two of his three main options out. Dejan Lovren suffered a sickening injury in the draw against West Brom whilst Martin Skrtel picked up a hamstring injury in the defeat to Watford last time out. Mamadou Sakho has only just returned form injury himself and was well off the pace against Watford.

Liverpool (9th)

Stats: W-6 L-5 D-6

Recent Form - WLDDL

Leicester City (1st)

Stats: W-11 L-1 D-5

Recent Form - WDWWW

Head-to-head record:

Possible Line-ups

Liverpool (4-2-3-1) - Mignolet, Clyne, Can, Sakho, Moreno, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Coutinho, Lallana, Benteke

Leicester City (4-4-2) - Schmeichel, Fuchs, Morgan, Huth, Simpson, Albrighton, Kante, Drinkwater, Mahrez, Vardy, Okazaki

Injury List/Suspended Players

Liverpool - Milner (inj), Ings (inj), Gomez (inj), Sturridge (inj), Skrtel (inj), Lovren (inj), Flanagan (inj)

Leicester City - James (inj), De Laet (inj)

League Positions