Pitch inspection held: Paul Gorst drops Anfield weather update one hour before kick-off
Liverpool will have the opportunity to stretch their lead at the Premier League summit to seven points tonight, even with Anfield engulfed in thick fog.
At 3:30pm this afternoon, DaveOCKOP reported that the fixture could be in doubt due to the severe weather conditions which had swept across Merseyside on Boxing Day, with Tranmere having had their League Two match at home to Accrington Stanley (due to start at 3pm) called off.
However, while visibility around L4 remains far from crystal-clear, the Reds have been given the green light for their clash against Leicester, which kicks off at 8pm and sees two changes to our starting line-up from the win over Tottenham.
Liverpool v Leicester goes ahead
Just over an hour prior to kick-off, Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst took to X with a further update for LFC fans, detailing that a pitch inspection had taken place after 6pm and that the match isn’t under threat of postponement.
The reporter posted: “Still no suggestion #LFC‘s visit from Leicester is under threat with a little over an hour until kick-off. A pitch inspection has taken place a few minutes ago.”
Still no suggestion #LFC's visit from Leicester is under threat with a little over an hour until kick-off. A pitch inspection has taken place a few minutes ago. https://t.co/A8UulLjHRb pic.twitter.com/AhcCaRWX93
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) December 26, 2024
Liverpool fans can breathe a sigh of relief
While the dense fog could have an impact for players and supporters at Anfield tonight, everyone connected with Liverpool will surely be relieved that the fixture goes ahead as planned.
The Reds have already had one Premier League game postponed this month due to adverse weather, with a reschedule date for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park yet to be confirmed.
With Arne Slot’s team set to play for five consecutive midweeks at the beginning of 2025 due to their ongoing involvement in four competitions, the last thing they needed would’ve been a second deferred match to try and wedge into the diary at some point.
Thankfully that scenario has been avoided as tonight’s game will kick off as scheduled, although it remains to be seen just how much the fog will affect proceedings on the pitch. Most importantly, we hope that all match-going spectators have a safe journey home afterwards.
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