Mohamed Salah can finish off his year with a bang at Leicester as he nears yet another milestone, and simultaneously assist Liverpool with continuing their formidable form.
Liverpool have lost only two of their last 68 league games played and six of the last 120 with fans in the ground.
The Reds have scored 50 league goals so far this season – more than in any other top-flight season in the club’s history after 18 games.
And in all competitions this season, the Reds have scored 75 goals in 27 games – 14 matches fewer than it took them to reach that mark in the 2020/21 campaign.
Feeling Formidable
A goal today will see Liverpool equal their club record of scoring at Leicester for the sixth league game in a row – having previously done so for the sixth time in 1977 and 1996.
Roberto Firmino has scored more Premier League goals against Leicester than any other Reds player of the era. He has six (from 12 appearances), one more than Robbie Fowler managed.
And Sadio Mane has netted four times in his nine league games against Leicester, while Mo Salah has scored four goals in seven top-flight appearances against the Foxes.
Lucky Touch
Diogo Jota has four goals in five league appearances against Leicester and also scored in last week’s cup encounter.
Jota has scored his 25 goals for Liverpool in 21 different games. He has yet to lose a game when finding the net, winning 18 (including last Wednesday’s shoot-out victory) and drawing three.
Each of James Milner’s last two league goals for Liverpool have come against the Foxes and both from the penalty spot.
His last goal came at Leicester, with his first touch, a minute after coming off the bench on Boxing Day 2019.
Look at Those Numbers!
Salah is one goal away from recording 150 in all competitions for English clubs, the first two coming with Chelsea.
He has scored 26 goals for Liverpool away from Anfield in this calendar year (including the goal scored against Leipzig in Budapest in a Champions League home leg) to set a new club record. Ian Rush scored 25 in 1982.
Salah has 37 goals in this calendar year. Only one man has ever scored more for the club from January – December. That was Ian Rush (twice) who scored 44 in 1986 after scoring 38 in 1982.
Ones to Watch Out For
Jamie Vardy needs one goal to become the Foxes record scorer against Liverpool in all games. He has 10 in 14 appearances. Ernie Hine scored 10 in 11 games between 1926 and 1932.
Vardy has scored in each of Leicester’s last three league victories over Liverpool – 2016, 2017 and 2021 – all at the King Power.
He has scored 43 Premier League goals since August 2014 against teams from the established top-6.
And Maddison has scored each of his last three games in all competitions.
Clean Sheets are Hard to Come By…
Under Brendan Rodgers reign, Leicester have won one and lost three times in the league against Liverpool, scoring four and conceding 10.
They have not kept a clean sheet in the last 10 league meetings between the two teams since winning 2-0 at King Power in February 2016, and that is the only one in the last 14 top-flight encounters.
And this season, the Foxes have leaked 18 goals in the last seven matches, with nine coming in their last two.
A Good Omen
Michael Oliver is the referee today. He was due to referee Liverpool’s game on Boxing Day. He took charge of this fixture on Boxing Day 2019 – Liverpool won 4-0.
This Season’s Scorers
Leicester: Vardy 11, Daka 7, Maddison 7, Tielemans 5, Barnes 4, Iheanacho 4, Lookman 4, Evans 2, Albrighton 1, Amartey 1, Dewsbury-Hall 1, Ndidi 1, Perez 1, Soyuncu 1
Liverpool: Salah 22, Jota 12, Mane 9, Firmino 6, Origi 5, Minamino 5, Keita 3, Henderson 3, Thiago 2, Alexander-Arnold 2, Fabinho 1, Jones 1, Oxlade-Chamberlain 1, Robertson 1, Van Dijk 1, own goals 1
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
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