Leicester to hold Liverpool

Leicester City are a team who play on the counter-attack and thus they are better equipped than many to play against the top teams who are going to dominate possession.

Playing without the ball was how they won the Premier League, they counter-attacked brilliantly and defied all the stats to keep their momentum right to the end.

That was a season in which we could just not catch them and a few signings in the January of that season wouldn't have made any difference either if Lucas Moura is anything to go by. There is a measure of our fans who blindly think that if we had bought it would have meant a Premier League win but history tells us our new signings need time to adjust usually so there is every chance they would have had a detrimental, not beneficial impact.

Recent history has shown Leicester are quite capable of picking up points at home against the top six sides. Last season they won seven out of a possible 18 points against the big six at home (W2, D1, L3).

A year ago, Leicester lost at home to Liverpool in a game they should have won. They can take encouragement from the fact they have beaten Liverpool in three of there last four matches and they've also beaten Liverpool in three of their last four clashes at the King Power in all competitions at the King Power Stadium.

That has come over a three-year span so it would be nice for us if they kept that going at lunchtime on Saturday.

The Foxes have also won two games this season and played well in defeat on an opening day to Manchester United. They are hampered by the loss of Jamie Vardy as a result of his red card.

Incidentally, I totally disagree with anyone retiring from international football, it is a selfish act. If your country wants you should be there at all times. Retiring seems to have become a fashion accessory.

Young Leicester City winger Demarai Gray is a player we have been continually linked with for the past few years and he has looked sharp in the opening month of the season. The 22-year-old (23 next June) scored in their last game.

You can't knock Liverpool at the moment though, they are flying with three wins out of three and no goals conceded. They have though played perennial relegation fodder and bottom of the table West Ham United, along with Brighton at Anfield, with only10-man Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park.

While you can only beat what is in front of you, you still have to question the validity of the results going forward. It would be easy to read too much into them too early.

Liverpool have never won their opening four games in a Premier League season and 74% of their away games produced more than 2.5 goals last season. No goals conceded this term might suggest they have tightened up at the back, certainly they have a better goalkeeper!

Stats
60% of Leicester’s defeats in 2017/18 came with them trailing at half-time.
Liverpool have been ahead at half time in 13 of their last 15 victories.
5 out of the last 6 H2H encounters have seen over 2.5 goals scored and/or both teams to score.

Fingers crossed that Leicester takes a point off Liverpool at least. From a betting point of view that area is where the value would lie. My concern is that having sold Mahrez and Vardy out too, one wonders where the goals would come from.

Leicester to hold Liverpool