Liverpool vs Leicester City: Three things to look out for
By Ethan Henson
Enzo Maresca’s philosophy test
Enzo Maresca is a man who has a clear and defined ideal of how football should be played, with ball retention and the movement in midfield that facilitates that. This does not mean that his ideas aren’t tailored with the opposition in mind, with key tactical shifts defining the outcome of the recent away wins against Southampton and Norwich City.
Liverpool are likely to field a weaker than usual side for this game given their hectic schedule, but there should still be some immensely talented and expensive personnel on display who can hurt the Foxes both in transition and in the press. In his first test against a side of supreme quality, it will be interesting to understand how Maresca deals with the threat that they pose and whether he goes away from his usual designs (clue: he won’t).
A few unfamiliar Leicester City faces this season
In the minds of the key Leicester City stakeholders, be it fans, staff, sponsors or partners, there is one clear goal in mind to be achieved by the end of this season: promotion. With that in mind, given the Foxes are back in the north west just three days later to face Blackburn Rovers, we can reasonably expect that the Carabao Cup will be given less priority with team selection.
Player of the season so far Harry Winks may miss out, and a cynic might suggest that his midfield partner Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may not feature – City may not want to show Liverpool just how could the No. 22 can be following their reported interest in the summer. Callum Doyle will almost certainly miss out as a precaution at least.