LIVERPOOL are one game away from setting a new club record for consecutive home league games without defeat, but rarely since they last lost at Anfield – way back in April 2017 – has their unbeaten streak felt so vulnerable.
The reigning Premier League champions face formidable opposition in the shape of table-topping Leicester City and former Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. But it is not just the high-flying Foxes threatening Liverpool’s record run – Jurgen Klopp and co. must contend with an increasingly sketchy bill of health.
Injuries this month to England internationals Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez have further decimated a back four already reeling from the long-term loss of star centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who suffered cruciate ligament damage in October’s Merseyside derby.
And the international break brought further woe, with captain Jordan Henderson and left-back Andrew Robertson picking up muscular injuries – although both may yet feature against Leicester – and top scorer Mohamed Salah contracting COVID-19.
Midfield enforcer Fabinho, who had been ably filling in for Van Dijk, was forced from the field after half an hour of Liverpool’s Champions League win over Midtjylland in late October and hasn’t played since, although he is in contention to return this weekend – likewise playmaker Thiago Alcantara, who has trained again at full intensity in recent days having been out since the dramatic 2-2 draw with Everton a month ago.
Whatever patched-up side Klopp fields against Leicester will be tasked with shackling Jamie Vardy. At 33, the Leicester striker’s extended prime shows no sign of stopping any time soon. Vardy is 59/50 to score any time at Anfield, 7/1 to score two or more, and 6/1 to get an assist.
Leicester City have won 29 Premier League games since Brendan Rodgers was appointed manager, only Man City [38] and Liverpool [46] have won more in that period. Jamie Vardy is the top scorer in the Premier League in that period with 40 goals.
Doing an excellent job. pic.twitter.com/bKVfxCwSsg
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 12, 2020
Vardy is the Premier League’s joint-top scorer so far this season, with eight goals, level with Salah, Son Heung-min and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. With impeccable timing of his runs and maintaining his sharp burst of pace as he moves into his mid-30s, the former England international is a threat behind even the most finely tuned backlines, let alone one missing several key components and leaking goals at a rate greatly in excess of last season’s title-clinching form (two goals conceded per game in 2020-21 compared to 0.86 last term).
And the Leicester striker’s supreme ruthlessness is evidenced by the fact his has the highest shot accuracy (86 per cent) and lowest minutes-per-goal average (70) among the division’s 25 highest scorers at this stage of the campaign.
Leicester and Vardy’s productivity has been aided in no small part by the fact they have been awarded nine penalties, with their eight in the Premier League twice as many as any other club. Vardy has taken six of these spot kicks in the league, scoring five.
A controversial VAR decision went Leicester’s way for the second of their penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the last round of fixtures. Liverpool, on the other hand, consider themselves especially harshly treated by the decisions of video assistant referees of late. They even requested an investigation into how the refereeing technology was applied in their draw against Everton at Goodison Park, after Jordan Pickford’s challenge on Van Dijk – which led to the Dutchman’s injury – went unpunished and a marginal offside denied them a late winner.
“It’s now six games into the season and in three of them we have been on the wrong end of these kind of decisions,” Klopp lamented after Liverpool felt aggrieved by another VAR decision, awarding Sheffield United a penalty, in October’s 2-1 victory over the Blades at Anfield. “It’s not that we want to have any advantage, we just don’t want to have any disadvantage. That’s the situation now.”
But Leicester haven’t had it easy this season either. The Foxes have suffered more than their fair share of injuries. Midfielder Wilfred Ndidi remains unavailable, while creator James Maddison has only recently returned to the fold. Defenders Caglar Soyuncu, Wesley Fofana and Timothy Castagne are all either doubtful or ruled out of the trip to Anfield. Right-back Ricardo Pereira, though, who has been out for eight months, could be in line to make his long-awaited comeback.
“The guys are having to cope with all the injuries and all the games, and they’re still churning out great results,” Rodgers said after his side beat AEK Athens 2-1 in the Europa Leage on 30 October.”
“They’re still producing and doing very well. It shows the spirit and unity of the team.”
After Leicester started last season brightly only to fall away and lose their top-four place late in the campaign, Rodgers’ critics resurfaced, drawing parallels with how his Liverpool side capitulated after a second-place finish in 2013-14.
But the fact he has steered Leicester through this spate of injuries to top spot in the Premier League, while owning the division’s joint-best defensive record, shows his growth as a manager in the years since he left Anfield.
A positive result against Liverpool would be a statement of intent for Leicester in the early title running, and another step towards redemption for Rodgers against his former club. Clinging to their historic unbeaten home run will require a champion’s mettle from Klopp and his injury-ravaged Liverpool.
Latest odds: Liverpool (19/20) Draw (14/5) Leicester (11/4). For all current Liverpool vs Leicester odds, click here.
