Liverpool welcome a familiar site back to Anfield as recently relegated Leicester City prepare for a clash against the Premier League side in the EFL Cup third round.
Key Takeaways
- Both sides have enjoyed great starts to their season with just one loss and one draw between the sides.
- Liverpool remain unbeaten this season and are second in the Premier League
- Leicester City have already beaten Tranmere rovers 2-0 to progress to this stage of the competition
This should be an exciting game with two teams from different leagues but in red-hot form. Both teams have not been struggling to create goals and Leicester are already seasoned in the competition this year.
Liverpool Form
With the uncertainty surrounding their superstar, Mohamed Salah’s future, now over, Liverpool have been on an unstoppable run of form.
They are fresh from a great win against West Ham United where they won 3-1, a great result given how well West Ham are doing this season, with goals from Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, it will be welcoming for Liverpool fans to see the majority of their forward line on the scoresheet.
Unbeaten in the league this season, and indeed in all competitions having come from behind to beat LASK 3-1 in their Europa League Group Stage game, they have just the one draw so far this season; their opening day fixture against Chelsea which ended 1-1.
Leicester City Form
Leicester sit atop the Championship table and seemed primed for automatic promotion back to England’s top tier. They have recorded recent wins against fellow recently demoted Premier League teams Norwich City and Southampton, recording 2-0 and 4-1 wins respectively.
They share an almost 100% record with Ipswich Town, both trams with one loss and on 21 points, Leicester's sole defeat this season so far was against fellow promotion candidates Hull City, a game they lost just 1-0.
Head-to-Head
Leicester City have recorded 1 win against Liverpool in their last 5 games, with all the others being losses.
Team News
With two main players out, Liverpool will have to rotate their squad once again. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who earned his first captaincy this year is still nursing a thigh injury and isn’t likely to return before the end of the month. Magical playmaker Thiago Alcantara has returned to physical training but is out until October as well.
Goalkeeper Alex Smithies is unavailable for the Tigers having not yet been registered for the first team, Dennis Praet continues to be absent in Leicester’s back line and his experience will be missed. Tom Cannon is yet to make his debut for Leicester City since his move from Everton, the Ireland U21 international is still nursing a knock and will not make the trip north west.
Key Players
With Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah firing on all cylinders, Jurgen Klopp may opt to rotate his starting lineup and give Cody Gakpo free rein up top, the Dutchman has found the net once so far this season but has played a part in every single game so far.
More minutes may be required to get him back to his goalscoring best and the towering forward will smell goals this fixture.
Leicester’s youth teams have seemingly produced an absolute gem in Kasey McAteer, the Northampton born winger forced his way into the first team after loan spells at Forest Green Rovers and AFC Wimbledon last year and has found himself on the scoresheet 4 times in the last 6 games. The 21-year-old certainly has a point to prove and his raw energy will need to be matched if he is to be kept quiet.
Final Thoughts
Leicester are doing well since their relegation but have failed to replace some of the key players that they have lost that are at that Premier League level, this will be a difficult game for them but Liverpool will need to guard against complacency.
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