Mark Lawrenson has predicted that Liverpool will preserve their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season with a 2-1 victory against Leicester at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp’s side go into their final match before the international break on the back of a nervy 4-3 win against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday night while Leicester will no doubt still be on a high after they battered Newcastle 5-0 last weekend.
Although Brendan Rodgers’ men have kept clean sheets in their last two matches and their defensive record in the league matches Liverpool’s, Lawrenson is not convinced that either side will be able to keep each other at bay this weekend.
“I appreciate that Leicester are dangerous when they go forward, but I don’t think they are good enough at the back to get themselves a result at Anfield,” Lawrenson said on the BBC Sport website.
“There do seem to be a few issues in the Liverpool defence right now, but there is nothing wrong with the front three.
“Leicester will have to do more in attack than they managed at Old Trafford last month, when they lost to Manchester United. Apart from forcing David de Gea into an early save, they did not really do enough against a team in transition
“Liverpool will offer a much tougher test and it feels to me like Leicester will have to be at the very top of their game and take every chance that comes their way if they are going to get something out of this one.”
OPINION
Leicester will be a tough test for Liverpool and Klopp’s men will have to be at their best to be able to get anything against them this weekend. Lawrenson’s point about the Foxes’ defence not being good enough is a bit wide of the mark. No team in the league has conceded fewer goals than Leicester this season with them, like Liverpool, only conceding five in the Premier League. Rodgers has led his side to third in the table and they have already won points against the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham, who they beat 2-1 last month. If there is a team that isn’t Manchester City who can beat Liverpool in the early stages of this season, it’s Leicester. Rodgers will have a point to prove in his first game back at Anfield since leaving the Reds in 2015 and his side are playing some really good football with Jamie Vardy in good goalscoring form. Liverpool’s defence was tenderised on Wednesday by Salzburg. Klopp will expect an improvement.
