Liverpool vs Leicester City
Premier League football is back this week and we’re taking a look at a vital clash at Anfield, where league leaders Liverpool entertain Leicester City.
Both teams had a weekend off, having bombed out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle, and they arrive at this fixture having been on opposite ends of seven-goal thrillers. Liverpool held off Crystal Palace 4-3 last week, while Leicester succumbed to a last gasp winner in a 4-3 reversal to Wolves.
Neither result tells the story of a team completely in control. And both the Reds and the Foxes have good reason to be anxious in the run-up to this clash, which makes it all the more fascinating for us neutrals.
Talking Points
Can the Reds hold their nerve?
The Premier League 2019 betting odds still have Jurgen Klopp’s side as marginal favourites to win a first Premier League title, though reigning champions Manchester City are just four points behind and with a better goal difference. One slip up from the Reds will install City as favourites and there are 15 games still to play.
The Sky Blues have had their blip and came out all guns blazing, winning the last eight games, in all competitions, scoring 28 unanswered goals in the last six, including a 5-0 hammering of in-form Burnley in the FA Cup. They play relegation-threatened Newcastle United on Tuesday night and so I expect Liverpool’s lead to be down to a single point.
So Liverpool must hold its nerve and concentrate on its own priorities. The first task is to beat Leicester City. It’s going to be a big week in the top flight and you can keep up with all the latest Premier League 2019 updates right here at SBOBET.
The most worrying aspect for Klopp is the form of his defence against Palace, added to the injury list which plagues his back line. Alisson Becker had a surprisingly shaky game against the Eagles; the Brazilian keeper conceding three at home for the first time. But surely that was a one-off.
Klopp has selection worries at the back with Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dejan Lovren all out, and slight worries over Virgil Van Dijk and Fabinho, while James Milner is suspended after receiving a red card against Palace. Van Dijk has been ill and if he doesn’t recover in time he will be a huge loss for the Reds.
The Liverpool boss has no such worries up front where his goal happy strikers are all fit and firing. They might need to score a few to guarantee three points though!
Leicester can spring a surprise
Claude Puel always seems to be under pressure as Foxes coach. The expectations at the King Power Stadium have maybe become a little too high after their unbelievable title win three years ago. But three defeats on the run have put the spotlight on the boss again, particularly after a humiliating FA Cup exit to League Two minnows Newport County.
But despite losing three from four in the league the Foxes are still in the top half and they do have the capacity to beat the very best, inflicting a shock defeat on Manchester City on Boxing Day, before embarking on a poor run of form.
England centre back Harry Maguire is expected to be fit for the clash at Anfield, and the impressive Wilfred Ndidi will run the Foxes’ midfield. James Maddison is expected to push further forward, just behind Jamie Vardy, and he hopes to add to his five league goals so far this season. He certainly has plenty of skill and bags of confidence and a wicked shot on him.
History
Previous meetings favour the hosts with Liverpool winning 14 of the 27 meetings since 1994, with eight wins for the Foxes and five drawn.
Recent history is also the reason for optimism on Merseyside. Liverpool has won the last three against Leicester and hasn’t lost at home in ten matches.
But they will be well aware of the threat of Jamie Vardy, the Foxes arch poacher has scored seven goals in his eight Premier League appearances against the Reds, and he has seven to his name so far this season.
Liverpool’s last league title came before the inception of the Premier League in 1992, so the cheeky Foxes can rightfully boast that they have won the competition in its current format, whereas their illustrious hosts haven’t!
Betting Tip
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Liverpool vs Leicester City | Leicester City Asian Handicap +1.75 @ 2.02 |
| January 31, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
I don’t expect that boats to help Leicester much and Liverpool is expected to win by two clear goals, with SBOBET odds of 1.89 with that -1.75 goal handicap. But, while the hosts have responded to two defeats with back-to-back wins, neither has been entirely convincing and I wonder if slight nerves are beginning to set in.
Leicester has the attacking threat to take advantage of a depleted defence, though I doubt their own defence will hold back the Reds’ world-class attack for too long and I expect Liverpool to edge it.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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