Foxes head to Anfield today
Brendan Rodgers guided Liverpool to the brink of the Premier League title when he was in charge at Anfield.
Now, on his first return since leaving four years ago, the Leicester boss is aiming to slow his former club’s latest championship challenge and demonstrate that his side deserve to be considered top-four contenders.
Rodgers was dismissed by the Merseyside club after a three-year stint as manager little more than a year after his side had fallen agonisingly short in their efforts to beat Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City to top spot in 2014.
Five years on, Jurgen Klopp’s side are once again locked in an intense rivalry with City and will attempt to maintain their perfect start to the league campaign on Saturday.
However, the combination of Leicester’s impressive resurgence under Rodgers and Liverpool’s unconvincing midweek Champions League display against Salzburg means Klopp’s side face a tough task to make it eight wins from eight.
Rodgers returned to the Premier League in February after a trophy-laden spell in Scotland with Celtic, charged with injecting fresh life into a Leicester side that had lost its way under Claude Puel.
The excitement of the thrilling title success in 2016 had faded, with Puel accused of adopting a negative style of play that meant mid-table was the best the club could hope for.
The arrival of Rodgers provided an immediate lift and he has restored belief at the King Power Stadium that the club can establish itself among the leading group of clubs.
He has done that while continuing the process of rebuilding the team -- of the title-winning line-up, only goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and striker Jamie Vardy have been regular starters this season.
Having been touted as a contender to finish seventh in the Premier League, the “best of the rest”, before the campaign, the Foxes’ subsequent form has seen them spoken of as a top-four side.
Leicester have lost just once this season and are third in the Premier League on 14 points, nestled behind Liverpool and Manchester City.