The Premier League‘s relegation sufferers and title winners could all be confirmed as Liverpool travel to Leicester on Easter Sunday.
Leicester vs. Liverpool
Premier League (33) | King Power Stadium
April 20, 2025 | 4.30pm (BST)
On paper, this is one of Liverpool’s easiest games of the season.
Without a win since January, Leicester are on the brink of relegation and a comeback from this position would be up there with another’s miraculous recovery at Easter.
Liverpool are primed and ready to take advantage of a club in disarray, with Premier League glory within touching distance.
1. How Liverpool can win the league
Liverpool can win the league this weekend – what a sentence to write!
To the pleasure of fans attending Anfield next Sunday, though, we will probably have to wait another week to have the trophy mathematically secured.
If Ipswich beat Arsenal then Liverpool beat Leicester, the Reds will win the title as their points tally of 79 would be unreachable with five games left.
Whatever happens to the Gunners, if the Reds win their next two matches, they will be crowned champions. Simple.
2. Trent Alexander-Arnold “might” play
Trent Alexander-Arnold could return from his ankle injury this weekend, having trained this week with the team.
Slot said he will “definitely not start” but “might” make the bench against Leicester.
Bradley will therefore start, but the coach hinted that the youngster may need to be withdrawn again in the second half. Playing 90 minutes “isn’t easy” for Bradley, Slot admitted, as the right-back returns to full fitness.
Joe Gomez is Liverpool’s only certainty to miss this weekend.
3. Starting XI prediction
• READ HERE: LFC lineup options vs. Leicester – 2 changes & 3 key decisions
Slot has decisions to make in three areas for this one.
After Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson were replaced by Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas against West Ham, both could return to the side – perhaps a harsh move on Jones.
Robertson should take Tsimikas’ place but the choice is less clear up front.
Diogo Jota has scored just one in his last 13 appearances and Slot could turn to Cody Gakpo to start from the left, with Luis Diaz through the middle.
LFC predicted XI: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz
4. Liverpool can relegate Leicester
Things could be decided at both ends of the table on Sunday. While Liverpool could win the league at the King Power, far more likely is that Leicester get relegated.
A draw or defeat for the Foxes would see them sent back down to the Championship with a whimper.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s side are currently 19th and have 18 points. The Premier League‘s 17th-place team are West Ham who have 17 points more.
With just 18 left to play for, a win for West Ham on Saturday or dropped points by Leicester would confirm their demotion.
5. Leicester’s woeful campaign leaves manager under fire
When Steve Cooper was sacked in November, there still existed a good chance Leicester could stay up.
Instead of gaining a boost, though, they have looked just as hopeless under Van Nistelrooy who was appointed after a four-match spell as Man United‘s interim boss.
Journalist Jamie Thorpe told This Is Anfield: “Unless he (Van Nistelrooy) pulls off the miracle of all miracles and somehow keeps us in the league, which simply isn’t happening, I don’t see how Van Nistelrooy’s position is tenable.
“He has been incredibly disappointing and has made many mistakes throughout. It’s not the sort of record we need to oversee a rebuild.”
6. Did you know?
Mo Salah’s next goal will see him move ahead of Sergio Aguero and into outright fifth place on the Premier League era goalscorers list, with 185 goals.
There have been only three goalless draws in 107 league clashes between Liverpool and Leicester, with two coming at Filbert Street in 1998 and 2004.
With 40, the Reds have scored in every away league match of this campaign. Never in their history have they scored in every away fixture of a league season.
7. Arne Slot’s summer plans
While Slot said Liverpool will have a “big summer,” he also spoke of the importance of keeping the Reds’ core squad together.
“We showed the opposite last season because we didn’t change anything, I don’t think we went downwards,” the Dutchman explained.
“But in general, I agree with you, but there’s also a lot of lots of studies being done that the longer a team plays together, the more success it has.
“So I think the core of the team you want to keep as long as you can together, as long as they are performing in the best possible way.”
8. Stuart Attwell is the referee
Stuart Attwell, whom Liverpool don’t have particularly fond memories of, will referee the Reds’ game against Leicester.
Constantine Hatzidakis – yes, the linesman who elbowed Robertson in 2023 – will act as assistant with Natalie Aspinall. Meanwhile, Thomas Bramall will be the fourth official.
In Stockley Park, Michael Salisbury has been appointed the video assistant referee, with the assistant VAR being named as Wade Smith.
9. Virgil van Dijk’s new contract
Another week, another new contract. Same again next week, Trent?
That may be wishful thinking, but we’ll take the best defender in the world signing up as consolation!
Liverpool confirmed on Thursday that Van Dijk has signed a new contract, one that will last two years and see him continue to earn a reported £385,000 per week.
10. Follow the match with TIA
Leicester vs. Liverpool is live on Sky Sports Premier League with kickoff at 4.30pm (BST).
TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 3.45pm, with Harry McMullen tasked with keeping you entertained and up-to-date.
Come on you Reds!
