Liverpool vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Wout Faes nets two horror own goals

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no concerns about misfiring striker Darwin Nunez after revealing at Borussia Dortmund he used to regularly win money off Robert Lewandowski for failing shooting drills.

Nunez missed a number of chances in Boxing Day’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa, having also squandered opportunities in last week’s Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City.

Having seemingly found his feet following his potential club-record transfer from Benfica in the summer with seven goals in 10 matches before the World Cup break, Klopp believes the Uruguay international will come good.

And he used Lewandowski, whom he signed for Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010 and helped turn into one of the game’s greatest strikers, as an example of how sometimes it takes a while for a player to get to grips with their task.

Can a team be simultaneously sitting in the top half and doing the cliched nervous look back over their shoulder at the bottom three? How about being adrift alone at the bottom on the worst run in the division, but at the same time being only two wins off mid-table?

The Premier League, congested and contorted and crammed in as it is this season, offers plenty of both to the entire bottom half - and perhaps beyond.

Brentford, for example, sit tenth. They have their manager signed to a new deal, beat Man City before the World Cup, produced a credible – first half, at least – display to hold Tottenham to a 2-2 draw on Boxing Day and are in the top half of the table.

All should look, and feel, well. But they also have just that one win at City in their last seven and, if they do not beat West Ham before the turn of the year, will have only two league victories to their name in four months when they host Liverpool in their 2023 opener.

A clean sheet will see Liverpool keep a third in succession at home against Leicester for the first time in their league history.

There have been only three goalless draws produced in 104 league fixtures between these two teams.

Liverpool have lost two of their last three Premier League games against Leicester, as many as they had in their previous 17 versus the Foxes.

But, Leicester are winless in each of their last 12 away matches against the Reds in all competitions with three draws and nine defeats.

Their last win at Anfield was a 2-0 Premier League victory in May 2000 courtesy of goals by Tony Cottee and Phil Gilchrist.

The death of football great Pele on Thursday provoked grief from around the globe as the world’s papers rushed to hand tributes to the three-times World Cup winner.

Here is how some of the papers reacted:

Liverpool are in form and despite their injuries in attack they should still have too much for Leicester in this one. Not to mention they’ll be boosted by the crowd at Anfield and the team’s desire to reach the top four.

Liverpool 2-0 Leicester.

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Nunez, Elliott.

Leicester: Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Faes, Thomas; Ndidi, Tielemans; Perez, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Vardy.

Liverpool remain without Arthur Melo, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, James Milner, Curtis Jones and Roberto Firmino, but Ibrahima Konate is in contention after World Cup duties.

Dennis Praet picked up an injury in Leicester’s defeat by Newcastle and is set to miss out again, while James Maddison remains out alongside long-term absentees Jonny Evans, Ryan Bertrand, James Justin and Ricardo Pereira.

The match kicks off tonight, Friday 30 December, at 8pm GMT.

Liverpool vs Leicester will be shown live on UK TV channels Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.

Customers can stream the game live online via the Sky Sports app and website.

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Premier League action as Liverpool take on Leicester at Anfield.

The Reds are hoping to make it four wins on the bounce as they continue to stride towards the top four whilst Leicester are hoping for a positive response after being beaten 3-0 by Newcastle last time out.

Jurgen Klopp’s new signing, Cody Gakpo, has been touring the facilities and training grounds this week and it would not be surprising if he is in attendence this evening to experience Anfield for the first time as a Liverpool player. Gakpo is unavailable to feature as the January transfer window is no officially open yet but should be ready to go for Liverpool’s next match.

Leicester’s James Maddison won’t play at part tonight either. He is still recovering from a knee injury and will be a big loss to Brenden Rodgers’ men who are in desperate need of reinforcements in January.

Kick off for this one is at 8pm and we’ll be team news, build-up and updates throughout the evening so stick with us.