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Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record against Arne Slot is reason to cheer for Leicester fans ahead of Liverpool clash

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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.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
1 LiverpoolLiverpool16 12 3 1 37 16 21 39
2 ChelseaChelsea17 10 5 2 37 19 18 35
3 ArsenalArsenal17 9 6 2 34 16 18 33
4 Nottm ForestNottingham Forest17 9 4 4 23 19 4 31
5 B’mouthBournemouth17 8 4 5 27 21 6 28
6 Aston VillaAston Villa17 8 4 5 26 26 0 28
7 Man CityManchester City17 8 3 6 29 25 4 27
8 NewcastleNewcastle17 7 5 5 27 21 6 26
9 FulhamFulham17 6 7 4 24 22 2 25
10 BrightonBrighton17 6 7 4 27 26 1 25
11 TottenhamTottenham17 7 2 8 39 25 14 23
12 BrentfordBrentford17 7 2 8 32 32 0 23
13 Man UtdManchester United17 6 4 7 21 22 -1 22
14 West HamWest Ham17 5 5 7 22 30 -8 20
15 EvertonEverton16 3 7 6 14 21 -7 16
16 Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace17 3 7 7 18 26 -8 16
17 LeicesterLeicester17 3 5 9 21 37 -16 14
18 WolvesWolves17 3 3 11 27 40 -13 12
19 IpswichIpswich17 2 6 9 16 32 -16 12
20 SouthamptonSouthampton17 1 3 13 11 36 -25 6

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.

Dutch Eredivisie"PSV eindhoven v Feyenoord Rotterdam"
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.

During that 2022/23 season he faced Slot twice, winning one and drawing the other.

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.”