Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Liverpool and
Leicester City at Anfield!
This is the final match of 2017 for both of these teams, and they will be looking to bring a rollercoaster year to a positive end here on Merseyside. Liverpool know that anything other than a win could see them end 2017 outside the top-four places, but Leicester will be desperate to arrest their recent dip in form, so this one should be a very intriguing contest.
We will have a closer look at both teams shortly, but first let's check out the team news...
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Karius; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Robertson; Can, Milner, Coutinho; Salah, Firmino, Mane
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Wijnaldum, Klavan, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold
LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Amartey, Maguire, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Iborra, Ndidi, Albrighton, Gray; Vardy
LEICESTER SUBS: Hamer, Dragovic, Slimani, Okazaki, James, Thomas, Musa
What can we make of those two teams, then?
Well, the headlines as far as Liverpool are concerned surround their 'Fab Four', who all start this afternoon despite some reports that Klopp may look to rotate again.
Salah, Coutinho and Firmino all started last time out, but Sadio Mane returns to the lineup this afternoon to bring Liverpool's devastating attack up to their fill complement. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - who was also on the scoresheet against Swansea City - is the man to make way.
Incredibly, Coutinho, Firmino or Salah have either scored or assisted 36 of the 46 goals Liverpool have scored in the Premier League this season, with the trio combining for more goals than Leicester's entire team have managed.
Throw Mane into the fold as well and that statistic improves even more, and all of them come into this match in fine form. Salah unusually didn't score against Swansea but still helped himself to two assists, Coutinho opened the scoring and Firmino helped himself to a brace to make it four goals in his last three games now.
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Including Mane's return to the starting lineup,
Jurgen Klopp has made five changes from the team which thrashed Swansea, so there is rotation despite the trio of Coutinho, Salah and Firmino starting both games in quick succession.
Perhaps the most notable change aside from Mane's return is that of Loris Karius, who gets a rare Premier League start between the sticks as Simon Mignolet drops to the bench. Karius has mostly been limited to Champions League action so far this term, but he gets his chance domestically here.
There are also returns for Gomez, Lovren and Milner, which means that Wijnaldum, Klavan and Alexander-Arnold all drop to the bench too.
Alexander-Arnold in particular may feel a little hard done by having scored his first Anfield goal during the rout of Swansea, but Gomez remains just above the youngster in the pecking order and was always likely to return today. Can continues in the middle of the park, meanwhile, with captain Jordan Henderson still sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Leicester have one or two injury problems of their own at the moment, but the newest of those has been eased by the return of Daniel Amartey from the one-game ban he picked up with his two yellow cards against Manchester United.
With Simpson having earlier limped off in that match - and now expected to miss more than a month of action - Leicester were forced to play Dragovic at right-back last time out against Watford, but he drops to the bench as Amartey returns today.
Amartey's return is one of four changes for Leicester from that defeat to Watford, including one on the opposite side of defence too as Fuchs returns in place of Chilwell, who misses out entirely today.
There are also returns for Iborra and Gray further forward as King is also left out of the squad, while Okazaki only makes the bench for this one. Mdidi, Mahrez and Alrighton all retain their places in that midfield.
Leicester will be hoping for a big performance from Riyad Mahrez once again today, with the Algerian having rediscovered something close to his best form over recent weeks.
There will most likely be some rumours linking him with a move away from the King Power Stadium once the transfer window reopens on Monday, but his recent displays have not suggested that he has one eye on a move away from the Foxes, despite numerous reports claiming that he was eager to leave during the summer.
The main scourge of Liverpool in this fixture recently has been
Jamie Vardy, though, and the England international leads the line once again this afternoon.
Vardy tends to thoroughly enjoy himself against Liverpool, scoring more goals (six) and being directly involved in more (seven) than against any other opponent in the Premier League. Indeed, Vardy has been personally responsible for six of the eight goals Leicester have scored against Liverpool during their last four Premier League meetings.
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This match comes two days too soon for Liverpool to have Virgil van Dijk in their ranks to try to stop Vardy, but the £75m the Reds will part with to bring Van Dijk to Anfield is a real statement of intent.
Liverpool have never spent so much on a player, and no team has ever spent so much on a defender, but whether Van Dijk is the only answer to Liverpool's well-known defensive issues remains to be seen. It is a big ask for the Dutchman to single-handedly sort out the problems, with the common consensus being that Liverpool also need a new goalkeeper and defensive midfielder at least.
Van Dijk's arrival should at least by a step in the right direction, although here at Anfield they have actually been very solid defensively, contrary to popular belief.
Across all competitions Liverpool have kept 11 clean sheets in their last 16 home games, conceding only seven goals in that time. In contrast, they have conceded 27 goals in their last 16 away games, keeping only four clean sheets in the process.
The defensive issues clearly lie away from home for whatever reason, then, and that is felt most sharply in the Premier League, where Liverpool boast the best home defensive record in the entire division. Indeed, their tally of three goals conceded in front of their own fans from 10 games is their joint-best tally in the Premier League, equalling the 2006-07 campaign.
Away from home, though, Liverpool have conceded 20 goals - the joint-third highest tally in the league - keeping only two clean sheets compared to seven in front of their own fans.
Liverpool are very much a Jekyll & Hyde team, then, although despite such a dreadful defensive away record in comparison to their home record, they have still picked up only two points fewer on the road than they have at Anfield.
The biggest problem for Liverpool in front of their own fans has been drawing games; Klopp's side are one of only two teams yet to lose a home league game this season, but they would still only be sixth in the table if just home form counted having drawn half of their 10 matches here at Anfield this season.
The most frustrating aspect of that for Liverpool fans will be that they should have won the majority of those games, and had they done so then they could quite easily be sitting second in the table as things stand.
Even so, Liverpool are still unbeaten at Anfield across all competitions this season - stretching back 14 games, including 12 in the Premier League, since April. They had drawn three in a row in the league before Tuesday's 5-0 rout of Swansea, though.
Liverpool come into today's match unbeaten in their last 14 games home and away stretching back to October's 4-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, winning nine and drawing five since then. That includes 11 league games without defeat, which is the joint-longest run they have enjoyed under Klopp.
The Reds last went 12 league games without defeat in March 2015 and a win today would not only hand them back-to-back victories for the first time since the beginning of the month, it would also send them four points clear of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, with neither in action today.
anything less than a victory would leave Liverpool in danger of ending 2017 outside the Champions League places, but having assessed their defensive issues it is only right that we pay tribute to their attacking talent too.
Liverpool's tally of 75 goals from 29 games across all competitions this season is their highest-ever total at this stage of a campaign as a top-flight club, and one goal today would ensure that record remains after 30 games too.
Of all the teams in Europe's top five leagues, only Manchester City (77) and Paris Saint-Germain (89) have scored more goals this term.
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Leicester's first problem will be stopping the Liverpool attacking juggernaut, though, although the Foxes have proven to be very well matched with Liverpool in recent years due largely to their threat on the counter-attack.
Liverpool are more than capable of blowing most teams away with a flurry of goals, but Leicester - and most other teams, for that matter - will know that if they are still within touching distance heading into the closing stages then Liverpool are also perfectly capable of gifting points to the opposition.
Leicester do not arrive on Merseyside in particularly good form, though. There has certainly been an upturn in fortunes since
Claude Puel's arrival, but the Foxes are winless in their last four games across all competitions, which is their worst run of the entire season so far.
Indeed, Leicester have now lost three of their last four games - including a penalty shootout defeat in the EFL Cup - having lost only one of the previous 12 before that.
The solitary defeat in that 12-match run came at the hands of Manchester City too, although it was a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in the reverse of this fixture which sparked their initial improvement in form.
In the Premier League their slump has been even more pronounced, having taken only one point from the last nine on offer following a run of four consecutive victories before that.
That point did come against Manchester United courtesy of Harry Maguire's late equaliser, but defeats to Crystal Palace and a Watford side who went into Tuesday's match in poor form would have been particularly disappointing for Puel's side.
Another defeat today would condemn them to successive league losses for the first time since September following that reverse at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day.
Despite that recent slump in form, Leicester remain in the top half and sitting relatively comfortable in eighth place - something of a no-man's land in the current table given the gap to the top four and relegation battle unfolding beneath them.
Leicester should be relatively safe from being dragged into that if they continue as they have been doing under Puel, currently sitting 10 points clear of the bottom three and only 11 off the top four.
Leicester have picked up only one point fewer away from home than they have at the King Power Stadium this season, so they won't be particularly daunted by this trip to Anfield.
However, the Foxes did see their seven-game away unbeaten streak come to an end at Watford on Boxing Day, and another defeat today would see them fall to two on the bounce for the first time since the opening two of the season - against Arsenal and Manchester United.
Leicester do have a very tough run coming up on the road too, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City to come in their next four away games.
The biggest concern for
Claude Puel defensively this season has been set pieces, with Leicester having conceded a league-high 13 goals via that means this season - almost half of the 30 goals they have conceded all term.
Puel himself has a good record against Liverpool, though, avoiding defeat in all six of his previous meetings with the Reds and already having won at Anfield with both Lyon and Southampton. The last manager to win an away game at Anfield with three different clubs was Martin O'Neill.
PREDICTION! Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Anfield, which means that it is time for a prediction!
This fixture usually provides goals - 14 in the last three Premier League meetings, to be precise - and I can't see that changing today. Puel has a reputation for being more solid at the back than some of his Leicester predecessors, but Liverpool's attack and Leicester's counter should turn this into an entertaining game. I'm going for a Liverpool win, though.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Liverpool 3-1 Leicester
These two sides have already met twice this season, although both fixtures came at the King Power Stadium and both teams have won one apiece.
The first saw Leicester run out 2-0 winners in the EFL Cup, but Liverpool had . quick shot at revenge when they played them in the Premier League four days later. That proved to be another entertaining contest which Liverpool eventually won 3-2 courtesy of goals from Salah, Coutinho and Henderson. Okazaki and Vardy were on target for Leicester.
Liverpool have not lost twice to Leicester in the same season since 1998-99, but they have lost more competitive games against the Foxes than against any other side in the
Jurgen Klopp era, going down three times in all competitions.
Leicester have won three of the last five competitive meetings following a winless run of seven in a row for them before that.
Liverpool were very much the dominant force on Leicester's last visit to Anfield, though, running out 4-1 winners in September 2016.
Firmino helped himself to a brace in that match, with Mane and Lallana also on the scoresheet while Vardy - of course - got his customary goal as a consolation.
Right, the players are out and we're just about ready to go at Anfield. Let's have a quick reminder of the team news before we get started...
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Karius; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Robertson; Can, Milner, Coutinho; Salah, Firmino, Mane
LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Amartey, Maguire, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Iborra, Ndidi, Albrighton, Gray; Vardy
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Leicester get us underway at Anfield, with Liverpool new boy Virgil van Dijk watching on from the directors' box.
Leicester are immediately on the front foot and Gray almost bundles his way through into a shooting position before Liverpool are finally able to hack it clear.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Leicester (Jamie Vardy)
Virgil van Dijk cannot come in soon enough for Liverpool. This is a shocking defensive error from the Reds, who fall behind to Leicester and Jamie Vardy within three minutes.
Matip's pass out from defence gifts possession back to Leicester in a dangerous area, and Iborra immediately releases Mahrez in the box. The Algerian only has the keeper to beat but unselfishly squares to to Vardy for a simple finish. What a start for the Foxes, but a nightmare one for Liverpool!
UPDATE: More early bad news for Liverpool as their top-four rivals Chelsea have taken the lead against Stoke through Antonio Rudiger.
Liverpool threaten for the first time as Robertson sends a tantalizing cross into the box which travels right across the six-yard box before Fuchs can hook it away.
CHANCE! Huge chance for Liverpool to restore parity quickly! Mane breaks down the left this time and delivers a cross into the box which falls at the feet of Salah. It is a relatively simple opening for a player in his form, but Salah puts it wide of the target when he should have scored.
YELLOW CARD! It's all happening in these opening exchanges! James Milner picks up an early yellow card for a trip on Mahrez.
UPDATE: Chelsea are already two goals to the good against Stoke, with Danny Drinkwater joining Rudiger on the scoresheet.
CHANCE! Brilliant last-ditch defending from Maguire to make up for his own error! Milner's pass through releases Salah clean through on goal, but he takes too long over his finish and that gives Maguire the chance to get back and make the sliding challenge.
More of these have come against Liverpool than any other club too...
SAVE! Coutinho looks to take matters into his own hands with a powerful effort from all of 30 yards out, but Schmeichel makes it look easy to pluck it out of the air.
CHANCE! Another chance for Liverpool, who are really knocking on the door now. Schmeichel again does well, though, just about thwarting Milner after the ball had broken kindly to him inside the area.
Leicester have the chance to break, which is exactly what they're after in this match now. Vardy finds himself one on one with Lovren, but miscontrols the ball and the defender takes it.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net... but it is quickly ruled out for offside. Robertson's cross was converted by Mane, but the winger had strayed beyond the last defender.
CHANCE! Salah, for once, has not brought his shooting boots so far today. The winger exchanges a slick one-two with Can down the right channel and only has Schmeichel to beat, but he lifts his finish wide of the far post.
CHANCE! Liverpool are creating chances almost at will at the moment, but still there is no way through. This time Firmino breaks forward down the middle and pokes a low effort towards goal which Schmeichel gets down well to save. The ball bounces back out into a dangerous area and Amartey almost gifts it straight back to Salah, but he escapes.
UPDATE: Chelsea are flying at Stamford Bridge, with Pedro making it 3-0 over Stoke. Elsewhere, Watford are also ahead against Swansea through Carrillo.
SHOT! They're all having a go here! The ball bounces out to Gomez, who chests it down and goes for an audacious effort on the half-volley which ripples the top of the goal on its way over.
It has been almost one-way traffic for Liverpool since going behind inside three minutes, but a mixture of good goalkeeping and poor finishing has denied them so far. Liverpool could quite comfortably be ahead now.
Coutinho hoists a high ball into the box which Schmeichel comes to claim but spills under pressure from Firmino, only to gather it at the second attempt.
SAVE! More work for Schmeichel to do as he collects Firmino's 25-yard effort after the Brazilian had wriggled into shooting space.
Leicester City have survived the opening half an hour in this match - and somehow have come out of it with a lead too. They are not exactly defending it well, though, and if it carries on like this then surely it is only a matter of time before Liverpool get an equaliser.
The Liverpool crowd are already getting frustrated by what they see as time-wasting for Leicester, despite having more than 10 minutes still remaining in this first half.
Liverpool win their first corner of the match, and therefore their first chance to test Leicester's biggest weakness. The first is quickly followed by a second, but Leicester just about survive despite a less-than-convincing punch from Schmeichel.
UPDATE: Here is some news which might provide some cheer for Liverpool fans - Everton are losing. Ryan Fraser has given Bournemouth the lead against the Toffees at Dean Court.
The Liverpool chances have just dried up a little in the last 10 minutes or so, although Coutinho breaks forward here following a flick from Firmino, only for Amartey to make a crucial cover challenge.
Schmeichel has opted to come out and claim corners early so far today and, while there was one shaky moment a little earlier, on the whole he has taken the pressure off his defenders well.
Leicester have certainly tightened things up at the back since the half-hour mark, with Claude Puel correctly concluding that his side were making things too open. They will be delighted to reach half time with a one-goal lead here.
The fourth official indicates one added minute as Mane spoons another effort high and wide of the target from the edge of the box.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-1 Leicester City
The first half comes to an end at Anfield, and it is Leicester who go into the break with the lead against Liverpool.
The Foxes opened the scoring early on, but from that point on it was been one-way traffic for Liverpool. The Reds have created chance after chance, but are yet to find a way past Schmeichel this afternoon.
Jamie Vardy continued his stunning record against Liverpool with the only goal of the game so far, stroking home a simple finish after only three minutes.
It was another defensive error which led to the goal - and with new signing Van Dijk watching on too - as Matip gave possession away in a dangerous position. Iborra quickly pounced on it and played the ball through for Mahrez, who in turn teed up Vardy for a tap-in.
Liverpool could - and should - be at least level at the break, but some poor finishing has cost them in this match so far, with
Mohamed Salah unusually being the worst offender.
The Egyptian winger had a glorious chance just a few minutes after Liverpool had fallen behind only to place his finish wide of the target when he really should have scored, and he also failed to hit the target with another one-on-one chance later in the first half.
Coutinho, Firmino and Mane have also had sights of goal for the Reds, who have created a string of chances without any reward so far.
Leicester did tighten things up at the back towards the end of the half, with Liverpool's openings drying up after the half-hour mark, but the Reds have certainly had enough chances to be leading this one.
KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half here at Anfield!
Liverpool have quickly resumed control of possession at the start of this second half, but Leicester won't mind that too much. They are best on the counter-attack, and Liverpool's search for an equaliser here should give them ample chance to do that.
Liverpool are seeing so much of the ball inside the Leicester half, but still Leicester hang on. They are defending well in the opening exchanges of this second half.
Liverpool want a penalty as Salah goes to ground under contact from Fuchs, but the referee waves the claims away. There was contact, but perhaps not enough to warrant a spot kick.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Leicester (Mohamed Salah)
Liverpool have their equaliser, and it is Salah who gets it with his 22nd goal of the season!
He was wasteful in the first half, but he makes no mistake here! Mane releases the winger with a superb back-heel through-ball, and Salah then takes him time to invite a couple of tackles inside the area before stroking his finish home.
YELLOW CARDS! There was a little flare-up following that goal, and the referee showed yellow cards to Can and Maguire as a result.
Anfield is really rocking after that equaliser, and the Reds have the wind in their sails now. They will want a quickfire second to get themselves into the lead.
What a signing Salah has proved to be so far...
CHANCE! Salah almost adds to that tally here as a lightning Liverpool counter undoes Leicester. Coutinho clips the final ball over for Salah to race on to down the right flank, but his lofted finish lands on the roof of the net.
UPDATE: Everton have levelled things up against Bournemouth at Dean Court, through the unlikely source of Idrissa Gueye.
YELLOW CARD! Ndidi picks up a needless yellow card for a late challenge on Coutinho.
The Liverpool momentum has not grown as much as they would have wanted since that equalising goal, with Leicester managing to quieten the Anfield crowd back down. I suspect there will be another chance before the full-time whistle, though.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Mane has the ball in the back of the net for the second time today, but once again it is ruled out for offside. It is the correct decision again, with the winger having just strayed too early before latching on to Coutinho's exquisite pass and firing his finish past the keeper.
CLOSE! Leicester are inches away from regaining their lead here! Liverpool can only clear a cross as far as Ndidi on the edge of the box and he fires a half-volley just wide of the target. Karius had no chance.
This has been much better from Leicester in the last few minutes. They have offered very little going forward since the opening exchanges, but suddenly they look a lot more dangerous now. This one could still go either way in the final 20 minutes.
Liverpool have less than 20 minutes to salvage a victory here, otherwise they face the possibility of beginning 2018 outside the Champions League places should Arsenal win tomorrow.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Jurgen Klopp makes a change here as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Mane.
LEICESTER SUBS: Leicester make a double change in response, and it is an interesting one too as Vardy and Mahrez both depart to be replaced by Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Leicester (Mohamed Salah)
This man just cannot stop scoring! Salah does it again to give Liverpool the lead, turning Maguire before tucking his finish past Schmeichel.
Maguire was far too tight to Salah, who showed good skill and strength to roll his man and his finish was unerring too. What a season that man is having.
Suddenly now it is Liverpool's counter-attacking ability which could come to the fore. Leicester have to chase this game now, and that could make for a very open and entertaining final 10 minutes or so.
Liverpool are not the type of team who will sit back on this lead. Milner said recently that they need to become more boring, but with the likes of Salah, Firmino and Coutinho on the pitch they will always fancy their chances of getting another goal.
Good chance for Leicester to break as Ndidi beats the offside trap down the right flank, but his ball into the box is too far in front of Slimani.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Salah is the match-winner as things stand, but he will not see out this game as he is replaced by Georginio Wijnaldum.
LEICESTER SUB: Leicester make a change of their own too as Matty James replaces Albrighton.
Important piece of defending from Robertson as he gets across as the last man to tackle Okazaki, who had James in the middle calling for the ball. Leicester are still in with a chance here.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Another defensive change from Liverpool here as Ragnar Klavan replaces Coutinho.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City
The referee brings an end to proceedings at Anfield and it is Liverpool who end 2017 on a high, with Mohamed Salah's brace handing them a come-from-behind victory over Leicester.
The Foxes took the lead after only three minutes and may have begun to believe that it would be their day when Liverpool missed a string of chances, but Salah's second-half double ensures that Liverpool will begin 2018 in the Champions League places.
Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Liverpool ensure a winning end to 2017 courtesy of Mohamed Salah's brace. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
