Leicester City Clash Will Be True Barometer of Liverpool's 2016/17 Credentials
Liverpool welcome Leicester City to Anfield on Saturday evening for their first home clash of the season, with a capacity crowd poised to oversee a landmark encounter for Jurgen Klopp's men, who look to seal stability after the summer transfer window and the September international break.
Klopp saw 12 of his first-team stars head off on duty with their respective nations during 2016/17's first interval, along with a host of his best young talent, a testament to the quality at his disposal:
- Nathaniel Clyne, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge (England)
- Simon Mignolet and Divock Origi (Belgium)
- Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)
- Sadio Mane (Senegal)
- Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands)
- Dejan Lovren (Croatia)
- Ragnar Klavan (Estonia)
- Marko Grujic (Serbia)
With World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and friendlies out of the way, domestic action returns, and Liverpool will hope to stabilise the Premier League form that has seen them take just four points from three games so far.
A 4-3 victory away to Arsenal was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Burnley's Turf Moor, before a trip to take on Tottenham Hotspur resulted in a hard-fought but ultimately deflating 1-1 draw. Klopp's side sit 11th in the Premier League table.
Heading into the weekend, the Reds find themselves level on points with champions Leicester, and with Claudio Ranieri's Foxes taking to Merseyside for the unveiling of Liverpool's new-look stadium, this is a vital juncture for both sides to prove their credentials.
As Klopp's internationals returned to their Melwood training facility in midweek, everything looked to be coming together for the German—and a win at Anfield is essential.
Unfortunately, however, Liverpool will find themselves facing off against a Leicester side equally determined to nail down consistent form after the international break, as midfielder Andy King told reporters ahead of the trip up the M6:
"After last season it was always going to be hard. After a few games, whatever we did, people were going to compare to last season and say it’s a slow start.
But now we have our first win, we can hopefully get up and running.
Winning at Anfield would be a real statement. We know it’s going to be tough because they’ve had a good start themselves, but we know if we play the way we can, then we can be a match for anyone.
"
King referencing Leicester playing "the way we can" conjures memories of Liverpool's trip to the King Power Stadium in February, as the heroics of Jamie Vardy inspired a 2-0 victory for Ranieri's side on their way to a remarkable title.
That day, the pace and dynamism of Vardy saw Leicester threaten the Reds on the break throughout, soaking up pressure from the likes of Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Adam Lallana before launching direct passes up to their No. 9, who struck twice to seal the three points in an emphatic showing.
Liverpool dominated possession at the King Power, seeing 63.9 percent of the ball, but Leicester were sharper (32 interceptions to the Reds' 11), more stubborn (27 blocks to 15) and more clinical (hitting the target six times to just one, including an exceptional long-range goal from Vardy).
This, as King continued to explain, is likely how Leicester will approach their trip to Anfield on Saturday evening, with the Wales international detailing a conversation he had with international colleague Sam Vokes, who scored the first goal in Burnley's victory over Liverpool in August, per the Guardian's Stuart James:
"I spoke to Sam and he said they were a really good team. I know Burnley won 2-0 but he said [Liverpool] had 81 percent possession, so we know what they’re about.
Jurgen Klopp is all about high energy, they’ve signed well and have good players, so it’s going to be a tough game.
Coupled with the fact they have got the new stand, they’re going to want to win their first home game this season. But we know with the team we have, we can go there and cause an upset.
"
At Turf Moor, Liverpool had no response to Burnley's well-drilled defensive approach, and just like against the Foxes in February, they were put to the sword by a more incisive attacking unit. This is what Klopp's side must avoid under the scrutiny of Anfield's new Main Stand on Saturday.
In his efforts to avoid "an upset," however, Klopp has a plethora of talent to call upon, with his side bolstered by the potential return of goalkeeper Loris Karius and the progress of another summer signing, Joel Matip, in his defensive line.
Karius, who joined from Klopp's former side Mainz 05 in May in a deal worth £4.7 million, is poised to take up the role of first-choice goalkeeper this season, having already declared his intentions on arriving on Merseyside.
"I wanted the No. 1 shirt because I was wearing it at Mainz," the 23-year-old said in an interview with LFCTV, "and I want to be the No. 1 here at Liverpool."
Though the shirt was previously worn by backup option Brad Jones, Karius has not joined the Reds to fill the role of Simon Mignolet's deputy, and his pulling out of Olympic duty with Germany this summer highlighted the vision of both the player and his new manager.
However, Karius broke a bone in his hand during the Reds' pre-season tour of the United States, colliding with Dejan Lovren when coming off his line to deal with a Cesc Fabregas cross—before playing out the rest of Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the International Champions Cup.
This has left Karius sidelined for the first weeks of 2016/17, but having successfully undergone surgery and continued fitness training alongside Mignolet and fellow new arrival Alex Manninger, he is now ready to make his debut.
Whether this comes against Leicester remains to be seen—the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce suggested Mignolet will keep his place for the time being—but Klopp now has an excellent option as No. 1.
Ahead of Karius in the defensive line, Matip—a free signing from Schalke 04—is poised to swiftly establish himself as one of the leading centre-backs in the Premier League, having already showcased his talents against Spurs prior to the international break.
That trip to White Hart Lane saw Matip make his league debut for the Reds, and his strong, aggressive presence at the back, combined with his adventurous, attacking-minded bent moving forward, transformed Liverpool's defensive line. With Mamadou Sakho out of favour at present, this is greatly needed.
Matip and Karius are both front-footed in their approach at the back, which could be key to Liverpool quelling the quick breaks of Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Leicester's summer attacking additions Islam Slimani and Ahmed Musa.
Furthermore, with key talents such as Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Daniel Sturridge all returning from international duty without injury, and Firmino and Milner among those remaining at Melwood during the break to continue training under Klopp, the 49-year-old has a nearly full-strength squad to choose from.
Only Joe Gomez (heel), Ragnar Klavan (knee), Emre Can (ankle) and Sheyi Ojo (back) are likely to miss out on Saturday, with Klopp finding himself in a positive standing on a weekend that will demand victory.
Liverpool received special dispensation to reverse their fixtures with Burnley this season due to redevelopment work at Anfield, and therefore the Reds have yet to play at home in 2016/17.
The stadium has taken a turn for the august, as club owner Fenway Sports Group oversaw plans to expand the Main Stand as well as improve facilities both inside and outside Anfield. Bleacher Report witnessed its impressive new look on Tuesday:
The Reds are set to entertain their biggest Premier League home crowd on Saturday, with the likely 54,167 attendance the biggest at Anfield since a 0-0 draw with West Ham United in 1977, and this will heighten the expectation for victory—as will the rare presence of FSG founders John W. Henry and Tom Werner.
Coupled with the tactical challenge of Ranieri's Leicester and the need to stabilise their league form after a mixed start, Klopp's side will be aware of the demands of Saturday's first home outing.
But with the majority of his key players now fit and new signings adjusted to life on Merseyside, Klopp can hope for the Reds to prove their credentials with a victory over the Premier League champions—and avoid the upset King is plotting.
Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Statistics via WhoScored.com, quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Follow Jack on Twitter @jacklusby_ and Facebook here.
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