Liverpool, who arrested a poor run of form with victory over Tottenham last time out, head to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City on Monday. The Foxes are well and truly at the threat of relegation, while the visitors are just hoping to correct the path of their campaign towards a top four finish.

In fact, the fear of becoming the first Premier League champions to be relegated in years proved to be all too much for those in the east Midlands and they took the decision to sack Claudio Ranieri, just nine months after he won the Premier League.

It will be a long time before Leicester are in European action after this season, particularly considering that Liverpool are not. The Foxes were in action in midweek as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Sevilla, now they return to the tedious reality of Premier League action and a disappointing season, now without the charismatic Italian.

Awarded the start of week hype of Monday Night Football, this encounter is massive for both sides.

Leicester must improve their home form if they are to avoid the most humiliating of relegations, while Liverpool need to rebuild their season after a disastrous beginning to 2017. One man, however, could make all the difference…

Sluggish Veterans

Robert Huth and Wes Morgan were protected so well last season that their lack of pace was never exposed. This season it has been painfully evident on countless occasions and there is no better player to take advantage of it than Liverpool’s electric Sadio Mane.

Leicester are yet to score in the Premier League in 2017, losing five matches on the bounce. Their troubles in possession have overshadowed the collapse of their solid defensive unit. Mane is one of the form players in the league and will find space against Leicester’s ageing central defenders. As resolute as they were last season, Mane will be the man Liverpool look to find on Monday night.

One Outlet

Liverpool are a different team with Mane available. The Senegalese international ignites their attack with his pace and makes attacking runs that no other Liverpool player does. He is clinical, incredibly fast and intelligent in his positioning within the final third.

Although reliance on one player is a concern for a manager, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted to have him fully fit for their visit to the champions. Mane gives Liverpool an extra dimension in attack, challenging opposition defences in an altogether different way from Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino or Adam Lallana.

Goals, Goals, Goals

Despite his absence for the African Cup of Nations, Sadio Mane is comfortably Liverpool’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with 11. Having only 2.2 shots per match, the former Saint has been lethal in front of goal and is the man that Jurgen Klopp wants his team’s chances to fall to.

Only three Premier League clubs are conceding more shots per game than Leicester are this season and, in the form of Mane, Liverpool have a player capable of taking full advantage of such lacklustre defending.