16 days is a long time in football, especially in the Premier League.
It’ll have be sixteen days since Liverpool’s last game by the time they kick off against Leicester on Monday night and whereas the Reds have spent that time in a sort of second pre season, drilling in the Spanish sunshine, the champions have continued their dark slide toward an abyss, losing three on the spin and look like a team in free fall.
This fixture last year felt almost routine to the Foxes as Liverpool capitulated to add to the progress of the unlikeliest of title winning campaigns.
There will be a very different feeling this time, the axe has fallen this week on the man who steered Leicester into the stratosphere last season. Claudio Ranieri can hold his head high, some of his senior players, perhaps need to good look in the mirror.
For Liverpool, this a chance to kick on and build after an impressive home win against Spurs. The race for top four is very tight indeed, but without the burden of European or domestic cup runs to consider they have a great chance to take advantage of extra rest and training sessions which Jurgen Klopp believes will give his side the edge over their rivals.
Some would preach caution with Leicester wounded, but if Liverpool bring the same intensity and aggression which they used to smother Spurs then surely they will win this game.
With the Foxes desperately needing points you would think they would have to attack Liverpool, leaving space in which the Reds fluid forward line should flourish.
Klopp has a few selection decisions to make, with Dejan Lovren an injury doubt and Jordan Henderson out injured. Lucas could continue alongside Joel Matip, with Emre Can probably taking the skipper’s place in midfield.
