Today’s lineups. Darwin Nunez leads the Liverpool side while Curtis Jones replaces Szoboszlai. No Jamie Vardy for Leicester and Jakub Stolarczyk starts in goal for the first time:

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Nunez. Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Chiesa, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Quansah.
Leicester: Stolarczyk, Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Winks, Soumare, Ayew, El Khannous, Mavididi, Daka. Subs: Iversen, Okoli, De Cordova-Reid, Choudhury, Skipp, Edouard, Thomas, Alves, Buonanotte.
Referee: Darren Bond.

It was a very nice Boxing Day for Liverpool so far: Chelsea lost at home, Manchester City didn’t win (and neither did Everton) and Arsenal played tomorrow, all of which adds up to a chance of going seven points clear of Chelsea (with one game to go). eight ahead of Nottingham Forest (also) and nine ahead of Arsenal (without one) if they manage to do against Leicester what they did in the Foxes’ last game at Anfield, and the time before that, and the time before that, and indeed what they’ve done eight of the last 10 times they’ve shown up and beat them (they’ve drawn the other two).

What was disheartening (for the visitors) was that Leicester recorded their only away win of the season at Southampton in October. Since then they have lost seven and won one in 10 in all competitions, and their form in their last eight league games is so poor that they have not even taken more points than Manchester City (both have five and are joint 18th, at least in points). . Place in the table for the last eight games; if you talk about 18 points, that’s how many points Liverpool have and are therefore once again leaders.

Somewhat surprisingly, Liverpool only have a 55% conversion rate from the top at Christmas to the league title (before the introduction of the Premier League the conversion rate was 71.4%, but this has fallen to 16.7% ). one in six, since 1992). That’s actually a slight overachievement: the all-time conversion rate from the top flight at Christmas to the league title is 44%, and the all-time Premier League conversion rate is exactly 50%.

It’s almost exactly five months until we find out how this season will end. The last day is scheduled for May 25th. Could there be another big leap in a glorious direction for Arne Slot’s high-flyers tonight? We’ll find out soon!