Liverpool v Leicester predictions: Reds primed to increase pressure on Rodgers

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Liverpool v Leicester in the Premier League on Thursday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 7.45pm Thursday

Best bet

Liverpool to win & both teams to score
2pts 11-8 bet365

Team news

Liverpool
Sadio Mane misses out after Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations triumph but Egypt's Mohamed Salah is available. Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Harvey Elliott, Joe Gomez, Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are fit again.

Leicester
Ricardo Pereira returned to action in the FA Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest but Jamie Vardy, Ryan Bertrand, Jonny Evans, Timothy Castagne and Wesley Fofana are sidelined. Nampalys Mendy is doubtful after his return from Afcon.

Match preview

Brendan Rodgers celebrated a 1-0 win over his former club Liverpool on December 28, but little over a month later the Leicester boss returns to Anfield as favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his job.

The Foxes' deficiencies were brutally exposed by Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest on Sunday as their defence of the FA Cup ended with a 4-1 defeat to their Championship hosts.

And Leicester's beleaguered defenders will not be thrilled about the return of Africa Cup of Nations finalist Mohamed Salah to a Liverpool squad that already includes Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and new signing Luis Diaz.

Leicester's 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium was an anomalous result for both teams. The Foxes have kept only four clean sheets in 31 domestic and Europa League matches this season, and they are 16-1 with Coral and Ladbrokes to shut out a Liverpool side averaging 2.64 goals per game in the league.

Jurgen Klopp may tread cautiously when it comes to reintroducing Afcon champion Sadio Mane and Salah, whose Egypt side went to extra-time in all four of their knockout ties, but Liverpool have hardly struggled for goals without their star forwards.

Jota's brace earned them a 2-0 win at Arsenal in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final last month, while the Reds beat Brentford 3-0 and Crystal Palace 3-1 in the league before a 3-1 FA Cup win over Cardiff on Sunday.

This time last season Liverpool were in the midst of a colossal injury crisis which contributed to a remarkable run of six consecutive league defeats at Anfield.

Now, though, Klopp's squad looks in rude health with Mane and Salah back from Cameroon, Diaz arriving from Porto to pep up the attack, and Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Harvey Elliott, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain jostling for spots in midfield.

That strength in depth is welcome as Liverpool have to play four league fixtures, with a Champions League last-16 trip to Inter in the middle, before the EFL Cup final against Chelsea on February 27.

Manchester City remain hot favourites to retain their Premier League title but Klopp's men will be aiming to keep up the pressure by taking maximum points from home games against Leicester, Norwich and Leeds and a visit to struggling Burnley.

They should be backed to continue their winning streak against the leaky Foxes, who lost 6-3 at City just two days before their unlikely 1-0 win over the Reds.

Both teams have scored in all nine of Leicester's away games in the league, as well as their last two at home: a 1-1 draw with Brighton and a 3-2 loss to Tottenham, who scored in the 95th and 97th minutes.

That trend may well continue at Anfield as Liverpool have kept just one clean sheet in their last six league fixtures, but the Reds have more than enough firepower to ratchet up the pressure on Rodgers.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in Leicester's last 16 Premier League away games.

Inside info

Liverpool

Penalty taker Mohamed Salah
Free-kick wizard Trent Alexander-Arnold
Set-piece aerial threat Virgil van Dijk
Card magnet Fabinho

Leicester

Penalty taker Youri Tielemans
Free-kick wizardJames Maddison
Set-piece aerial threatCaglar Soyuncu
Card magnetYouri Tielemans

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