Festivity fever has gripped the nation, but with Boxing Day comes football, and those of a Liverpool persuasion are going to be waking up with just one thing in mind: Leicester City.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side meet Liverpool at Anfield this evening as they look to stir an upset through the remnants of the manager bounce that has faded after a promising start, for Newcastle and Wolves have heavily beaten the Foxes across the past two weeks.
Four points clear at the top (with a game in hand), Liverpool will double down on their conviction ahead of the match, head-and-shoulders above their Premier League rivals as the team to beat as we approach the new year.
But Nottingham Forest’s Merseyside win back in September serves as a cautionary tale to enter contests with the genuine fear of defeat, lest complacency stifle the synergy and style that Arne Slot has finely crafted over several months.
Premier League
16
12
3
1
39 (2.44)
Champions League
6
6
0
0
18 (3.00)
Carabao Cup
3
3
0
0
9 (3.00)
Boxing Day routinely fosters thrilling, high-scoring fixtures, and while the Reds will be desperate to keep a clean sheet after shipping eight from their past three top-flight matches, it’s felt that the hosts will have too much for 17th-place Leicester.
Liverpool team news
Slot expressed caution in his pre-match press conference, with the frenetic festive period more than capable of turning over an upset or two.
On the injury front, defensive duo Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are still sidelined after respective setbacks picked up at the start of the month.
Things look rather promising, that aside, and Liverpool might see some rotation after the high-octane victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with Curtis Jones sure to be eyeing a midfield starting berth.
Diogo Jota’s fitness has steadily increased over the past few weeks and he might be keen on displacing Luis Diaz at centre-forward, though Darwin Nunez is sure to be eyeing up the place himself having been dropped down at N17.
Diaz starred against Tottenham, bagging a brace and offering a silky and unusual take on the number nine role, but he’s not as clinical and consistent as someone like Jota, who could be the difference-maker against a City backline that could crumble against such an elite marksman.
While Slot doesn’t really ring the changes, he might be keen to send Andy Robertson back to the bench too, replacing him with Kostas Tsimikas.
Why Slot should drop Andy Robertson
Robertson is one of Liverpool’s longest-serving members, joining from Hull City in an astute £10m deal back in 2017. His signing and debut season were overshadowed by Mohamed Salah’s record-breaking brilliance, but 319 appearances and a host of major honours later, he’s a legend of the modern era.
The 30-year-old has weathered a few storms over the past several seasons, however, and may not be quite the same electric machine of old, with errors and athletic lapses slipping into his season.
Make no mistake, Robertson is cultured and experienced with one of the finest ball-playing abilities of any full-back in the business, ranking among the top 1% of such players for passes attempted, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
But he’s declined. There’s no question that he’s a lesser version of his former self, even acknowledging in November that some detractors had “written me off” due to his dip in form and security.
He’s conceded recent penalties against Real Madrid and Southampton while being shown the violent glare of the red card during a 2-2 draw against Fulham this month, leaving reporter Lewis Bower criticising the “terrible” mistake in an afternoon that was “a bit of a mare” for the Scotland skipper.
But it’s not just these instances; they are not flashes in a grimy pan. Tsimikas has been second-choice throughout his Liverpool career, joining from Olympiakos in 2020. Now, though, he’s earning minutes on the big stage over a fully fit Robertson, producing results that reinforce Slot’s decision.
Matches (starts)
15 (14)
6 (2)
Goals
0
0
Assists
0
0
Touches*
65.7
40.7
Pass completion
89%
91%
Key passes*
1.3
0.7
Dribbles (completed)*
0.1 (33%)
0.3 (100%)
Tackles + interceptions*
1.9
2.5
Clearances*
1.1
0.7
Total duels (won)*
1.9 (52%)
3.0 (67%)
This detailed statistical collation makes an interesting comment on Robertson’s athletic regression, with his Greek peer outstripping him across a number of defensive and sporting metrics, albeit from a shallower data pool.
Robertson is one of Liverpool’s highest earners at £160k-per-week, but the paper covering the cracks is starting to wear thin. Tsimikas, 28, is far more authoritative in ball-winning situations while maintaining a crispness with his passing that suits Slot’s set-up just fine.
Change may be afoot at Anfield during the Christmas hangover, with Robertson and perhaps Diaz among those that Slot could place on the bench. Remember, this is a congested period and Liverpool meet West Ham United at the London Stadium in just three days.
For now, let’s just take it game by game. Four or five months from now, plot threads will weave together in a grand slam denouement that may or may not see Liverpool lift the biggest prizes Europe has to offer.
Beating Leicester would only strengthen Slot’s accord though, for it would serve as another subtle but sinister reminder to ostensible title rivals that Liverpool have the quality, depth and dynamism to triumph.
Rotation is key, especially with a trip to West Ham just a few days away. Robertson needs to be dropped, with Tsimikas more than capable of serving well in his stead.
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