JUST IN: ‘New’ kick-off time for Leicester City vs. Liverpool – prediction, team news, lineups
Liverpool’s title party and Leicester City’s relegation wake could both take place at the King Power Stadium when the two outfits collide in Sunday’s Premier League showdown.
The Reds will be crowned champions this weekend if Ipswich Town can do them a massive favour, whereas the Foxes’ demotion will be confirmed with anything other than a shock success.
Match preview
Evidenced by Mikel Arteta’s team selection against Brentford, Liverpool’s closest Premier League challengers Arsenal are prioritising Champions League glory over a fanciful top-flight title charge, and the Reds capitalised on their rivals’ latest slip-up in gameweek 32.
After the Gunners dropped two points in the London derby with the Bees, Arne Slot’s men had to do it the hard way at home to West Ham United, but Luis Diaz’s tap-in and a customary header from inspirational leader Virgil van Dijk settled the scores at Anfield.
April 2025 could very well be a month that goes down in Liverpool folklore; Van Dijk has now followed Mohamed Salah in committing the next two years of his career to the Reds, and the club need only win two of their final six games to clinch a second Premier League honour.
In fact, the crown could be wrapped up this weekend if they win at the King Power and Arsenal are stunned away to Ipswich, and even though the Reds were upset 3-2 in their last away assignment against Fulham, they have not lost back-to-back Premier League games on the road since April 2023.
Furthermore, Liverpool’s two consolation efforts at Craven Cottage means that they have scored multiple goals in each of their last six Premier League away matches – and 11 of their last 12 – so Leicester fans could be forgiven for already consigning their team to their inevitable fate.
As Liverpool inch closer towards the coveted crown, Leicester are on an inexorable slide towards the second tier for the 2025-26 season, and even the most surprising victory over the rampant league leaders may not be enough to keep them afloat with five games to go.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men finally rediscovered their golden touch in front of goal last weekend, ending an eight-game scoring streak in the Premier League by fighting back twice in a 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, but that came far too little too late for their survival scrap.
A whopping 17 points adrift of safety with just 18 left to play for, a draw or defeat against Liverpool will send Leicester down, and even an unexpected triumph will not make a difference if Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United both prevail.
However, having finally ended their atrocious scoreless streak on any territory, Leicester can harness their newfound attacking confidence to avoid becoming the first side in English top-flight history to go nine consecutive home games without a goal.
The Foxes’ last Premier League strike at the King Power coincidentally also came in another 2-2 draw with Brighton in December, shortly before they bagged a consolation goal in a 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Boxing Day, but a consolation goal would provide little comfort to the doomed hosts this time around.
Leicester City Premier League form:
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Liverpool Premier League form:
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Liverpool form (all competitions):
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Team News
While Trent Alexander-Arnold will seemingly not be following Salah and Van Dijk in signing a new deal, Liverpool have received one boost regarding the right-back, who could be back on the bench this weekend following a month out with an ankle injury.
Darwin Nunez should also be back from the illness that kept him out of the West Ham win, and their potential returns would leave the visitors with just two absentees, as Joe Gomez (hamstring) and Tyler Morton (shoulder) are still on the road to recovery.
Now boasting the most Premier League goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League season, Salah is just three goals/assists away from a new all-time competition record and could write another unique page of history this weekend, where he could become the first player to ever score in six separate games against newly-promoted sides in one Premier League season.
Also set to receive a few selection boosts for the weekend, Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy has confirmed that Wout Faes and Jeremy Monga – the Premier League’s second-youngest player of all time – will be back from the minor issues that ruled them out last weekend.
Victor Kristiansen (personal) and Facundo Buonanotte – who could not face his parent club last weekend – are back in contention too, but Harry Winks (disciplinary) and Abdul Fatawu (knee) are still out of the picture.
Faes’s return opens the door for Leicester to switch to a five-man defence, but Van Nistelrooy should reward the starters that fought valiantly at the Amex last weekend, as 38-year-old captain Jamie Vardy continues to spearhead the charge.
Leicester City possible starting lineup:
Hermansen; Pereira, Okoli, Coady, Justin; Ndidi, Soumare; McAteer, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Gakpo
We say: Leicester City 1-4 Liverpool
Liverpool have been conceding plenty of chances to the opposition of late, and Leicester snapping their horrendous scoreless sequence at home is not out of the question.
However, the Reds should bite back three or four times as hard to condemn their hosts to their second-tier fate, even if their title party will have to wait that little bit longer.
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