Liverpool will travel to King Power Stadium on Monday night to face Leicester City in a crucial Premier League game, and Paul Merson has predicted a shock defeat for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The Reds have been playing really well in the last couple of months and they finally appear to have regained their mojo, having won six of their last eight games, the other two being draws.
Merson says despite picking up wins recently, Liverpool are not ripping teams apart, and that’s why he fancies Leicester to win on Monday night. The Foxes find themselves 18th in the league table, but they can climb out of the drop zone with a precious win at home.
Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool were nowhere in contention for a top-four finish, but thanks to their recent form, they have closed the gap with Manchester United to just one point, although the Red Devils have played a game less.
Merson expects both Newcastle and Manchester United to win their respective games this week which will put pressure on Liverpool. He says it could be a “season-defining” game for the Foxes and predicts a 2-1 win for the home side.
The popular pundit wrote for Sportskeeda:
“I think Everton and Nottingham Forest are going to lose this week and I don’t see Leeds beating Newcastle United either. As such, this is a great opportunity for Leicester City to move towards surviving relegation.
“Liverpool are playing for a Champions League berth but they are not really ripping it up despite getting several wins under their belt in recent weeks. They are not exactly destroying teams and I think, Leicester have a chance here. But the Foxes can’t defend like they have in recent weeks. There is no point in drawing this game. They have got to win this one.
“I’m going to go with Leicester. By the time this game kicks off on Monday night, Manchester United and Newcastle United could have already won their games. Leicester could be buzzing because the three teams around them could have lost. The pressure will be on Liverpool and Leicester have everything to play for.
“This could be a season-defining game for Leicester. If they don’t win it, I think they’re going to get relegated.”
Not that easy
Leicester will be fighting for their lives and they will make life difficult for Liverpool, but the Reds are riding high on momentum and they have the experience when to shift gears.
Unlike other teams, they now have something to fight for, and Klopp won’t be satisfied with anything apart from three points at the King Power Stadium.
Merson is completely wrong with his assessment of Liverpool. In their last six games, they have scored six against Leeds, four against Tottenham, and three against Nottingham Forest. They have earned two clean sheets in their last two games, and that will breed enormous confidence.
Mohamed Salah is back among goals while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones have been superb recently. It will need a special performance from Leicester to get anything from this game.
