Liverpool vs Leicester City. Premier League.
AnfieldAttendance44,123.
Saturday 26 December 2015 15:05, UK
Premier League leaders Leicester aim to continue their perfect December when they travel to Liverpool on Boxing Day.
The Foxes have beaten Swansea, Chelsea and Everton this month to ensure they top the table on Christmas Day.
It is only the second time in top-flight history that a team has been bottom of the league one Christmas and top of the table a year later.
Talk of Liverpool mounting a title challenge has quietened in recent weeks after two defeats and a draw from their last three league fixtures.
Manager Jurgen Klopp said the 3-0 loss at Watford last weekend was his worst moment since taking over at Anfield in October, but they have only lost once at home under his reign.
Team news
Danny Drinkwater is expected to miss out for Leicester after a hamstring injury kept him out of the win over Everton last weekend.
Robert Huth is back after suspension and could replace Marcin Wasilewski, who deputised for him at Goodison Park, while Jeff Schlupp (hamstring) remains sidelined.
Klopp will be forced into a change in defence as Martin Skrtel has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury, but Dejan Lovren is back in training and available for selection. Simon Mignolet is set to return in goal after he was a late absentee with a hamstring strain against Watford.
Opta stats
Liverpool have never lost at home in the Premier League on Boxing Day (W5 D3), but Leicester were one of the teams to earn a draw back in 1996.
Leicester were unbeaten in their last nine Boxing Day matches before returning to the top flight (W4 D5). However, they have won just one of their last 10 fixtures on this day in the top division of English football (W1 D3 L6).
Jamie Vardy has scored or assisted a goal in 15 successive Premier League appearances.
Jurgen Klopp has won just three of his first nine Premier League games in charge of Liverpool; the same tally that Brendan Rodgers managed in eight league games as the Reds manager this season.
Leicester have won 18 of their last 26 Premier League games (D6 L2) - in the same period, Liverpool have collected just eight wins (D8 L10).
Only two players have been involved in more goals than Riyad Mahrez (20) in the top five European leagues so far in 2015-16 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (22) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (21).
Merson's prediction
This is a perfect game for Leicester. Liverpool are struggling like mad at home and I think the Foxes will get a result at Anfield.
Their style won't help Liverpool at all because Leicester will sit back, soak it up and they'll catch them on the counter attack. Liverpool are so vulnerable to that at the moment, and they seem to be missing that guile to break teams down too.
I just can't see Leicester losing this game, I've watched them a lot this season and I think this is another match that they'll catch their opponents on the break.
If this game was at the King Power Stadium, I'd definitely be going with Leicester, but as it's at Anfield, I'm going with a score draw.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Liverpool are marginally odds-on at 10/11 with Sky Bet as Leicester are rated 14/5 outsiders to maintain their most unlikely of title tilts with a win.
The Foxes have come in from as long as 5,000/1 to 10/1 to win the title as they sit top at Christmas, while their hosts have drifted out to 50/1 with 14 points between the sides.
Sky Bet struggle to pick a favourite in the first goalscorer market with Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke 4/1 apiece, considerably shorter than free-scoring Leicester duo Jamie Vardy (11/2) and Riyad Mahrez (8/1).
