Leicester City face one of their toughest tests of the season on Boxing Day when they host league leaders Liverpool.
The Reds are the runaway leaders at the top of the Premier League and have only lost in the league once this season whereas for Leicester, it’s been a bit more difficult.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side are two points clear of the bottom three but, with Leicester facing a difficult Christmas run-in, they could easily find themselves in the relegation zone.
As part of the trip to Anfield, Van Nistelrooy will go up against Arne Slot once again.
Both have history after facing each other in the 2022/23 campaign when they were in charge of PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord respectively and if the previous encounters are anything to go by, there’s reason to be optimistic if you’re Leicester fan.
EINDHOVEN - (lr), PSV coach Ruud van Nistelrooij, Feyenoord coach Arne Slot during the Dutch Eredivisie match between PSV and Feyenoord at Phillips...
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s H2H record against Arne Slot
Van Nistelrooy is still in the early stages of his managerial career.
Apart from a brief spell as Manchester United’s interim manager, the 48-year-old has only had one season in charge of PSV.
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During that 2022/23 season he faced Slot twice, winning one and drawing the other.
Date Result
18 September 2022 PSV 4-3 Feyenoord
5 February 2023 Feyenoord 2-2 PSV
The first of those games was an epic seven-goal thriller as PSV beat Feyenoord 4-3 thanks to an 85th minute winner.
In the return fixture at De Kuip it was honours even as they were held to a 2-2 draw.
There will be frustration on Van Nistelrooy’s side however as his team led by two goals before conceding two in 10 minutes meaning they had to share the points.
What has Ruud van Nistelrooy said about Arne Slot ahead of Leicester’s trip to Liverpool?
As he pointed out himself, Van Nistelrooy is no stranger to Slot and the way he plays having faced him in the past.
While the task is an uphill one to say the least given the Reds’ strength in depth compared to what the Dutchman has at his disposal, those past experiences could work in the Foxes’ favour.
I know how Arne wants to make his teams play. He’s got it right straight away,” said the Leicester boss.
“They are the dominant force also in the Champions League. The streak is remarkable. We have to be very compact, we have to be ready to know what we’re facing. We have to be ready to play too.
“It will be a great task but it’s a great chance to develop in all areas in the game, and that will help us towards the finish line.”
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