Liverpool vs Leicester City Preview
High-flying Liverpool welcomes relegation candidates, Leicester City, to Anfield on December 26th. Two Dutchmen will battle it out in the dugout as Premier League new boys Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arne Slot fight for supremacy heading into the new year.
Liverpool has been excellent this season. They have exceeded expectations under their new coach and are the current favourites for winning the Premier League. Leicester had a tough start to the season but hopes to steer clear of relegation under van Nistelrooy. Can the Foxes cause a huge upset on the road, or will Liverpool continue to build towards their title hopes?
Liverpool vs Leicester City Predictions
Correct score prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Leicester
Leicester had a relatively sturdy start to life under Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman took over at the King Power Stadium, following Steve Cooper’s departure in November. He picked up four points from his first four games. That has helped them clear the relegation zone for now. However, van Nistelrooy faces his toughest test when the former Manchester United man takes the Foxes to Anfield to face Liverpool.
Arne Slot has guided Liverpool to the top of the league as we approach the midway point of the season. The Reds have continued to grind out results, including seven points against title hopefuls Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City. A home fixture against relegation candidates is exactly what Liverpool fans need to enter the New Year at the head of the table. Our soccer prediction is for the Reds to extend their lead with a victory on Boxing Day.
Slot has built this season’s successes so far on a dominant defence. His side has conceded just 13 league goals, the lowest in the Premier League. Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back partnership has blossomed under Slot with Konate hitting his peak after three years on Merseyside. Van Dijk is back to his expectant best. The efforts of Ryan Gravernberch and Alexis Mac Allister have also been vital to their defensive shape. Slot has his team running like a finely oiled machine at the back, and their attack is backing them up.
Liverpool have scored a fairly modest 31 league goals so far, averaging just over two goals per game. Mohamed Salah’s clinical finishing and moments of magic have contributed greatly to that. The Egyptian King is the top scorer in the league with 13 goals this term and at 32 years old, he is showing no signs of slowing down. His goal-scoring hasn’t given way to his creativity either, chipping in with nine assists. No player in Europe’s top five leagues has more combined goals and assists than Salah and he will be the key to Liverpool’s attack in this game.
Leicester has been open at the back and struggled to find the net so far. Their 21 goals this season is the fourth-lowest tally in the league. Jamie Vardy had to do a lot of heavy lifting up front, topping their scoring charts with six goals. However, at 37 years old, the ageing Leicester captain has struggled to see out games. He has played a full 90 in less than half of his appearances. Vardy’s goal-scoring ability is without question fantastic. However, the Foxes lack a striker they can rely on for a full game. That is bad news against a Liverpool side that is firm at the back and whose high-pressure tactics command incredible fitness levels.
Liverpool vs Leicester City Betting Tips
Liverpool are overwhelming favourites in this game, worth 1/9 for anyone betting on soccer. They have only lost once this season and have been defeated twice in their last 39 home Premier League games. Leicester’s only away win this term came against bottom-of-the-table Southampton There is next to no value in a bet on the Reds to win, with €10 returning just €1.10. However, several other bets catch our attention for this game.
The Reds have been excellent defensively this season and lead the league for clean sheets with seven from 15 games. They are averaging just over two goals per game. Leicester will struggle to find the net on Boxing Day against the best defensive team in the league. A bet on Liverpool to win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 is worth 23/10. You can also back Liverpool to win and keep a clean sheet at 10/11.
If you think Leicester can pull off an upset, why not back them in the full-time result markets? A bet on the Foxes to win at Anfield is worth 16/1 with our online bookmaker. You can also wager on a draw, worth 17/2. It is worth noting Liverpool’s only loss this season came in a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.
Mohamed Salah is in sensational form this season, topping the Premier League scoring charts. The forward entered the top 10 all-time top scorers in the league earlier this term with 183 career goals in England’s top division. He is Liverpool’s key man in attack and we think he’ll add to his tally on Boxing Day. Bet on Mo Salah to score in this game. You can extend those odds by betting on the Egyptian to score first.
Live betting is also an option in this game. Ruud van Nistelrooy will instruct his men to play a highly structured, defensive style to frustrate the Liverpool attack. They will make it as hard as possible for the Reds to find their way through on goal. Check the in-play markets if Liverpool has failed to score by halftime.
Liverpool vs Leicester City Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Liverpool have dominated the fixtures between these sides, leading 11-1-3 in their last 15 meetings. They have won all of their previous four. They last clashed in 2023, meeting in the league in May before a League Cup tie in September. Both days were tough for Leicester fans. The Reds won 3-0 at the King Power Stadium in the league to further the Foxes’ nosedive down the table. That defeat would push Leicester towards relegation with their nine-year Premier League stay, coming to an agonising end on the last day of the season.
Their meeting in the League Cup third round began brightly for the Foxes when Kasey McAteer put them ahead after just three minutes. Liverpool dominated possession at Anfield but entered halftime a goal down. Cody Gakpo levelled for the hosts quickly after the break and the Reds continued to pressure Leicester’s final third. Dominik Szoboszlai finally put them ahead in the 70th minute before Diogo Jota sealed a 3-1 victory with a goal in the 89th minute.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has a tough job steering Leicester away from relegation but has started relatively brightly. A 4-1 defeat to Brentford in his first game was tough to take but the Bees are unbeaten at home this season. They bounced back to earn a 3-1 home victory over West Ham, earning Ruud his first three points as a Premier League manager.
This Leicester squad is thin on the ground in some areas but still boasts some Premier League quality. They rely on their all-time Premier League top scorer, Jamie Vardy, who is still finding the net late in his career. Connor Coady, Harry Winks, and Jordan Ayew are all seasoned pros in this league and there is hope among Foxes fans that they can help them over the line to avoid relegation at the end of the season.
Liverpool has hit the ground running under Arne Slot. He had gigantic shoes to fill after Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of last season. Some fans and pundits questioned the appointment, with the Reds missing out on their top target, Xabi Alonso. The Dutchman has made them eat their words, as Liverpool is currently the best-performing team in Europe.
The efforts of Mo Salah have not gone unnoticed, but Liverpool’s work as a collective is what has been the most impressive. They immediately bought into Slot’s philosophy and their hard work has paid off just as quickly. Many still expect an unlikely resurgence from Manchester City and Chelsea are mounting a surprising title challenge. However, Liverpool is in the driver’s seat and looks like they have what it takes to stay in control.