The opposition lowdown: Leicester City

Jordan Blackwell, Leicester City reporter at Leicestershire Live

On Leicester’s start to the new season…

It’s been an incredibly positive start, really. With a new manager arriving and with 14 senior players leaving in the summer, a period of adjustment was expected, but nine wins from 10 matches in all competitions highlights just how quick the progress has been under Enzo Maresca.

The first month, they were winning games with late goals after tiring out opposition with their possession football, but against Southampton, they showed how dangerous they can be if teams go toe-to-toe with them, while their most recent outing against Bristol City was their most dominant yet in terms of control of possession and territory.

He’s made an excellent impression. With only one short spell as a senior manager to his name before, with Parma, there was an element of risk to the appointment, but those worries are already gone. He’s very quickly managed to implement a clear style of play, while he has also got Leicester players enjoying their football again.

On the key dangermen…

Rotation amid a hectic schedule could mean he doesn’t play, but Harry Winks is the key man at the heart of the system. He’s the player to receive the ball from the defence and keep things ticking over.

As far as a dangerman goes, Abdul Fatawu is proving to be an exciting arrival. The teenage winger made his first start at the weekend, and while his strengths lie in his agility and ability in one-on-ones from the right flank, he has the end product to back it up too. If he doesn’t play, Kasey McAteer is likely too. The academy graduate has made an electric start and is top scorer. His work-rate is exceptional and he has superb game intelligence to work his way into the right spaces to be a threat in the boxMATCHLiverpool v Leicester City: Team news

On Leicester’s style of play and predicted line-up…

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that it’s very similar to how Pep Guardiola operates at Manchester City, given Maresca’s time at the Etihad as both U21s coach and as assistant manager. Out of possession, it will look like a 4-3-3, but in possession, Ricardo Pereira pushes forward from full-back to play in midfield with Winks, the formation changing to a 3-2-4-1. That allows the other midfielders to push up in support of the striker, while the wingers will maintain their width.

Like Liverpool, Leicester’s schedule at the moment is busy, so changes are expected. It is likely that Conor Coady will make his debut against his former club after recovering from a foot fracture suffered in pre-season.

Predicted Leicester line-up (4-3-3): Hermansen, Justin, Coady, Faes, Ricardo, Choudhury, Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall, Yunus, Iheanacho, McAteer.

Recent form

Leicester have started the season in strong form in the Championship.

The Foxes have gathered 21 points from their opening eight matches of the campaign, winning seven of those, alongside a solitary defeat, which came at the hands of Hull City.

They currently sit top of their division standings and have defeated Burton Albion and Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup to reach this stage of the competition.

Previous meetings

Liverpool secured a Premier League double over Leicester last season, claiming a 2-1 victory at Anfield in December before a 3-0 victory at King Power Stadium in May.

In the latter contest, Curtis Jones impressively struck twice prior to Trent Alexander-Arnold sealing the points in style.

Stats

• Liverpool are on an 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions, winning 13 and drawing five of those matches. They have scored 45 goals during this sequence.
• The Reds’ next win in the League Cup will be their 150th in the competition (including penalty shootouts).
• Liverpool and Leicester have met three times in the League Cup and on the two occasions the Reds have won (1986 and 2021), they have gone on to reach the final.

What they said

Enzo Maresca, Leicester City manager

“It’s Liverpool. I tried to study Klopp because of the way they work off the ball and the way they defended. Excited for sure.

“They have some new players but in terms of transition and work off the ball, they have probably been the best team in the world for the last seven years.

“So now, even if they have new players, they just need time to adapt and then they will go again. Anfield will be a good environment for us.”