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2022/23 English Premier League
Matchday 36
Leicester City v Liverpool
King Power Stadium
Leicester, England
Monday, 15 May 2023
Kick-off is at 22h00
Liverpool will continue their late push for
UEFA Champions League football when they lock horns with Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Monday, May 15.
The Reds have finally put together a run of consistent results to emerge as top-four contenders going into the final three games of the season.
A 1-0 victory over Brentford at Anfield last Saturday extended their unbeaten streak in the league to eight matches as Jurgen Klopp's side recorded a sixth win on the spin for the first time in 2022-23.
The Merseysiders have capitalised on Manchester United's recent slip-ups to close with a point of their fierce rivals in fifth spot, although they've played one game more.
Tottenham halted a worrying four-match winless sequence when they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 last weekend but they remain five points adrift of Liverpool in sixth place, while Brighton (7th) are a further two behind after suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat against Everton.
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The Foxes dropped into the relegation zone following a 5-3 loss at the hands of Fulham in the capital on Monday, coupled with the Toffees' big win at the Amex.
Dean Smith's team are tied with Leeds (19th) on 30 points and two shy of Everton (17th), having seen a three-game unbeaten run come to an end at Craven Cottage, which left them in 18th position.
Jamie Vardy has really struggled to hit his stride this term after reaching double figures in each of the last seven seasons for Leicester. The 36-year-old striker popped up with crucial goals in back-to-back outings against Leeds and Everton, however, to takes his tally to a paltry three in 34 games.
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Mohamed Salah has been key to the Reds' resurgence as he recovered from a slow start to the campaign by bagging 12 goals in his last 15 games. The Egyptian reached another impressive milestone with his winner against the Bees, which marked his 100th goal at Anfield.
In team news, James Justin, Jannik Vestergaard (both calf), Kelechi Iheanacho (groin) and Ryan Bertrand remain sidelined for the hosts, while the visitors must do without Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic (both groin) and Calvin Ramsay (knee). Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita could come back into contention though.
Smith acknowledged his players didn't show up against the Cottagers and wants a response when the Reds come to town as every point counts in the run-in.
"I've told them that we'll be in tomorrow (Tuesday), we'll deal with it tomorrow and then move forward. That's all you can do because we're running out of time. We felt this was a game and an opportunity and now we have to do it at home next week," he told LCFC TV.
"I didn't see that coming, certainly the first half. It's been a really good week of training. All the noises were right, the attitude and the application was right. But that's not what matters. When it came to matchday, we didn't perform as we should have today."
Klopp has welcomed the week-long break before their trip to the East Midlands, admitting they were drained after playing five matches in the space of 15 days.
"Great news, absolutely. Imagine we would have played now on Tuesday again, we would be completely knackered," the German said.
"It's really fine. You could see that today, there was one team who had a full week and one team who played only three days ago a super-intense game as well, and before that three days ago a super-intense game as well.
"The focus level the boys showed was exceptional, the concentration top and again a lot of good signs for us, how we could look in the future. We have to do that more consistent, we have to learn, we have to adapt, but a lot of good signs and I am really pleased with that."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Leicester - 2
Liverpool - 3
Draws - 0
Matchday 36 fixtures:
Saturday, May 13
13h30: Leeds United v Newcastle United
15h00: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur
15h00: Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
15h00: Crystal Palace v Bournemouth
15h00: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
15h00: Southampton v Fulham
Sunday, May 14
14h00: Brentford v West Ham United
14h00: Everton v Manchester City
16h30: Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Monday, May 15
20h00: Leicester City v Liverpool
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