Liverpool must avoid complacency against Leicester City and claim all three points in their quest for the Premier League title, Reds expert David Lynch has demanded.
The Merseysiders will claim the title if they win two more games, and should Arsenal lose against Ipswich Town on Sunday, the trophy could be won against the Foxes on the same day.
Boss Arne Slot will hope that his side can take advantage of 19th-placed Leicester, who will be relegated should they fail to beat the league leaders at the King Power Stadium.
Lynch insisted that there are no circumstances in which the Reds should not win against Leicester, telling Sports Mole: "You could say there's been a slight improvement in their form there, given they drew a game after losing something like nine on the bounce.
"But this is a pretty accommodating fixture for Liverpool, even with it being away from home. Leicester have just been remarkably poor this season, and it surprises me that they're not lower than Southampton - when I've watched both sides, I've seen a little more in Southampton than I have Leicester.
"Obviously Leicester picked up a few wins earlier in the season, but they've been pretty shocking otherwise, so as much as you'd think that you can't underestimate anyone in the Premier League, this is a game Liverpool should be winning and winning quite comfortably."
Leicester managed to earn a point on April 12 when they drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion, but they had been beaten in each of their prior nine while scoring just once.
Will Liverpool be motivated and avoid West Ham mistake?
Liverpool emerged as 2-1 victors against West Ham United last Sunday, and though their first-half performance was excellent, their showing in the second half was subpar.
The Reds faced accusations that they did not take the challenge of West Ham seriously given Arsenal had dropped points against Brentford the day before, and with Leicester struggling near the foot of the table, there are concerns that they could let their levels drop at the King Power Stadium.
Lynch expressed his view that Liverpool's desire to clinch the title should be enough to get the better of their hosts when he told Sports Mole: "As much as Leicester won't want that relegation to be confirmed officially, it's coming regardless, and I'm not sure that extra motivation will make them much of a better team [on Sunday].
"In terms of motivation, Liverpool have got their own as well, which is wrapping up that Premier League title as quickly as possible. You'd like to think that Liverpool could have one of those rare straightforward games, because most of the games this season have been tight, but this is a game where Liverpool should surely be winning it fairly comfortably."
Liverpool have won five of their last six in the Premier League, but they have struggled against the likes of Everton, Southampton and Fulham in recent weeks.
© Imago
Do Liverpool need above 90 points to earn recognition?
Despite their imminent Premier League success, rival fans and pundits have suggested that the Reds are only on the verge of winning the title due to the collapse of Arsenal.
The Merseysiders could still end the season on 94 points if they were to win their final six games of the season, and perhaps reaching the 90-point mark would silence critics given the Gunners have never achieved that total in their Premier League history.
When asked by Sports Mole if Liverpool need to get at least 90 points to earn the respect that their accomplishments deserve, Lynch argued that their points total will ultimately be meaningless to fans, saying: "Regardless of if Arsenal had had a good season, they haven't hit 90 points. They got to 89 last season, that's the highest for a long time and so they haven't broken the 90-point barrier.
"But look, who cares? At the end of the day, my take on this [around] these attempts to do down what Liverpool have done - it's not even an argument that's worth trying to win online because when the title's won if you're a Liverpool supporter, celebrate with your mates, your family. Go and just enjoy every minute of it and soak it up.
"This is the first chance that fans have got to do this in three decades where Liverpool have won the title and everybody's not trapped inside their houses. You should not be rattled by what people say online about this stuff because football's for you, it's the relationships you create with your friends and family. The nonsense people say online to make themselves feel better about it should just be ignored."
Liverpool won the 2019-20 Premier League title, but supporters were unable to celebrate the triumph in the manner they would have liked due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, so perhaps their title win in 2024-25 will take on an even greater significance.
Lewis Nolan
