After a hard-fought victory over Brighton last weekend, Liverpool are the only team in the league yet to concede a goal. The Reds have won each of their first three games and are at the top of the pile in the points table. But they will have to continue their winning run if they are to retain their place at the top. They face a tricky trip to King Power on Match-Day 4 on Saturday.
Leicester City, fresh from knocking Fleetwood out of the League Cup earlier this week, have beaten Southampton and Wolves in their last two league games.
Claude Puel will believe that his side can take something from this game, especially playing at home.
There are a number of interesting match-ups that could decide the outcome of the game. Jamie Vardy remains the biggest absentee owing to his suspension but Liverpool have to be alert nevertheless.
Here are three key battles that could have a bearing on the game:
#3 Mohamed Salah vs Ben Chilwell
With a passing accuracy of 84% to add to two tackles and three clearances per game, Ben Chilwell has done extremely well to push Christian Fuchs out of the first team.
The 21-year-old is yet to face a winger of Salah’s quality and will be under the cosh tomorrow. He will need support from Wilfried Ndidi and even Demarai Gray as keeping Salah quiet will be crucial for Leicester taking anything from this game.
The Liverpool star already has a couple of goals and an assist to his name this season and has been involved in more goal attempts than every player in the league except Sergio Aguero.
#2 James Maddison vs Georginio Wijnaldum
James Maddison has done well in the number 10 role and has added the creativity the fans were worried about after the departure of Mahrez. The 21-year old has already scored a goal for the Foxes and also has a key pass per game, with a passing accuracy of 84%.
Maddison has been hard to mark in the attacking third and Liverpool will need their Dutch midfielder, Gini Wijnaldum, to put in yet another strong performance in front of the backline.
Wijnaldum is not a natural defensive midfielder but has been effective in that role. However, he could easily be exposed if Maddison is at the top of his game. Both players will look to cancel each other out and the player who comes out on top could well win the game for his side.
#1 Demarai Gray vs Trent Alexander-Arnold
The young English defender has put in some memorable performances against the best players in the game but he has his own vulnerabilities at the back. A player with Gray’s skill can easily test him.
Alexander-Arnold is a good attacking option for Liverpool but if he plays high up the field, he could leave space for Gray to attack the right flank, leaving Joe Gomez vulnerable.
If TAA decides to sit back, it could affect Liverpool’s creativity on the same flank. So he needs to find the right balance to help Liverpool maintain their dominance in the game.
The Leicester City winger has it in his locker to trouble TAA and if he can find a weakness he can play on, Liverpool’s backline could be under serious threat for the first time this season.
Stat Credit: Whoscored.com
