Liverpool v Leicester: Liverpool set for comfortable home win

“Klopp’s charges have won their last five Premier League home games and it’s hard to see Thursday’s opponents causing them too many issues.”

In-form Liverpool look impossible to oppose

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have bounced back brilliantly after their disappointing 2020/21 campaign. They’re still fighting on all four fronts and as unlikely as it is, the improbable quadruple is still on.

Having appeared to show a distinct disregard for the domestic cups of late, following a comfortable 3-1 win against Cardiff the Reds find themselves in the last 16 of the F.A Cup, for which they’re the 5.59/2 second favourites, and having survived an almighty scare against Thursday’s opponents, Leicester, in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, and having beaten Arsenal in the semis, Liverpool are the odds on favourites to lift the trophy when they face Chelsea at the end of the month.

Liverpool are the third favourites to win the Champions League (6.611/2) and they’re a single-figure price to win the Premier League but unless Manchester City start slipping up, according to the markets, that’s going to be the hardest of the four trophies to win.

The Reds trail the Citizens by nine points with a game in hand but with City hosting an out-of-form Brentford on Wednesday night that gap is highly likely to widen before this game kicks off so there’s absolutely wriggle room.

Liverpool can’t afford to drop any points but given their current form, they’re unlikely to on Thursday.

In addition to serenely progressing in the cups, Klopp’s charges have won their last five Premier League home games and it’s hard to see Thursday’s opponents causing them too many issues.

Under-pressure Rodgers unlikely to stop the rot at Anfield

Leicester have had all sorts of injury issues since before Christmas and they’re still struggling.

Jamie Vardy is an obvious miss but it’s injuries to the likes of Wesley Fofana, Ryan Bertrand, Timothy Castagne and Jonny Evans at the back that are really hurting the Foxes.

After a home defeat to Spurs and a disappointing draw at home to Brighton before the brief winter break, Brendan Rodgers‘ team were absolutely awful in the FA Cup at local rivals Nottingham Forest, on Sunday, conceding three first half goals in nine minutes before going on to lose 4-1.

@NFFC ran riot at the City Ground putting past @LCFC!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/6HvoNZpTu5

? Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 6, 2022

Rodgers was scathing of some of his team after the sorry defeat, threatening that time may well be up for some.

“We had a really good second half but this is why we are not top players, they can’t sustain it. A lot of players have to improve and prove they are worthy of being here. Some players may have achieved everything they can here, it’s something we have to look at.”

So poor have the Foxes been over the last month or so that Rodgers now finds himself at the head of the Next Manager to Leave market and it’s very hard to see him easing in price after Thursday.

Liverpool set to run riot against leaky Leicester

Leicester don’t have a bad recent record against Liverpool and they’re seeking their third top-flight victory in-a-row against them for the first time since 1963.

They beat them at home 3-1 this time last year in the Premier League and they bounced back from a heavy defeat (6-3) at Manchester City on Boxing Day with an unlikely 1-0 home win against the Reds less than 48 hours later, but that was a bizarre game and a result that didn’t reflect Liverpool’s dominance. The visitor’s xG figures were 2.73 compared to Leicester’s 0.62 and it’s very hard to imagine them getting another fluky result on Thursday.

Liverpool will be without Sadio Mane following Senegal’s success in Sunday’s AFCON Cup final but beaten finalist, Mo Salah, is raring to go and to put Egypt’s defeat behind him.

Whether Klopp picks his talisman or not may not even matter given he has almost a full squad at his disposal and that the Reds are flying.

Looking at the side markets, despite Leicester’s poor form, Yes is odds-on in the Both teams to Score market and that’s understandable. Liverpool have scored in all their Premier League home games this season and both teams have score in all of Leicester’s Premier League away matches.

Over 2.5 Goals is long odds-on and more than three scored is a shade of odds-on in the Over/Under 3.5 Goals market but that’s understandable too. There have been at least four goals scored in 59% of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season and in 45% of league games involving the Foxes.

Given they’ve managed to find the net in every Premier League away game they’ve played this season, the Foxes finding the net looks highly likely but I can’t see them living with a red-hot Liverpool side so the bet I like is Liverpool/Over 3.5 Goals at 2.3211/8 in the Match Odds and Over/Under 3.5 Goals market.

Salah or no Salah, the Reds are flying and the goals are going in and even if Leicester fail to notch for the first time this term, the hosts bagging four or more is a distinct possibility if Leicester’s sorry performance on Sunday is anything to go by.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter