MatchThe opposition lowdown: Leicester City

Key men

Harvey Barnes has been Leicester’s most prolific figure in front of goal this season having netted on 12 occasions.

James Maddison has 10, while Kelechi Iheanacho has eight and Jamie Vardy has scored six times, with Patson Daka and Youri Tielemans netting four apiece.

Maddison has also been his side’s top playmaker, providing nine assists for his teammates, with Vardy having played the last key pass on five occasions.

Timothy Castagne, Daka and Iheanacho have four assists each respectively.

Recent form

In their last Premier League outing, the Foxes were overturned 5-3 away against Fulham. Barnes scored twice and Maddison netted a penalty at Craven Cottage.

That defeat came after draws with Everton (2-2) and Leeds United (1-1), which followed a 2-1 home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Style of play

Rob Tanner, Leicester City correspondent at The Athletic

“Attack has been Leicester’s best form of defence this season. In James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, they have carried an attacking threat, but the problem has been at the other end of the pitch.

“The fact they haven’t kept a clean sheet since before the World Cup says it all about their problems and the reason why they are now fighting for their Premier League status.

“The defeat at Fulham was a great example. Three down at half-time, they were quickly 4-0 down after being wide open on the counter-attack, but had Jamie Vardy converted his penalty later in the half Leicester could have been just one goal behind at the end and pushing for an unlikely point.

“They have played the same possession-based style, usually in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, for most of the season, but interim manager Dean Smith has tried to make them more direct and quicker to get the ball forward.”

Previous meeting

The teams’ last clash in the Premier League came on the penultimate day of December, when Liverpool ran out 2-1 winners at Anfield. The Reds came from 1-0 down to claim three points as Wout Faes conceded two own goals.

Stats

• There have been only three goalless draws in 105 league clashes between the teams, with two coming at Leicester – in 1998 and 2004.
• The Foxes have won the last two meetings with the Reds at King Power Stadium. Not since 1962 have Liverpool suffered a third loss in succession at Leicester.
• Fourteen of the last 21 league clashes have been won by Liverpool, while Leicester have claimed four victories and three have been drawn.

What they said

Dean Smith

“I’m expecting fight [from my team] but also showing better quality than we showed in decision-making opportunities. It was a crazy game [versus Fulham] on Monday, it could have been 9-8 honestly with the amount of chances there were for both teams. We’ve got to be better defensively, we know that, but we need to find that balance of making sure we don’t detract from our attacking intent as well. We need points, we know that, and it’s a home game for us.”