Sadio Mane (left) celebrates with Roberto Firmino

Liverpool are facing a fight for a top-four finish but is their run-in easier than the rest of the Premier League's top six? We take a look ahead of their Monday Night Football clash with Leicester.

Jurgen Klopp's side, who had only won once in 10 games before their 2-0 victory over Tottenham two weeks ago, are targeting three more points against the managerless Foxes at the King Power Stadium.

A win would send them above Arsenal, whose game with Southampton was postponed due to the EFL Cup final, and move them level with Manchester City, who also had the weekend off. As the top-four race hots up, we examine the factors in Liverpool's favour - and the factors against them.

Premier League focus

The most obvious factor in Liverpool's favour is that they have a clear schedule. Klopp's side struggled to cope with fighting on three fronts during their nightmarish January, but their elimination from the FA and EFL Cups ensures they can concentrate on the Premier League now.

It means they only have 13 fixtures remaining this season, a total which pales in comparison to their rivals. Manchester United and Manchester City's cup commitments mean they could face as many as 24 more games, while Arsenal could face 23 in the unlikely event that they knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League and reach FA Cup final.

Even leaders Chelsea, who don't have any European commitments, and Tottenham, who were knocked out of the Europa League by Gent, could face as many as 16 more games due to their continued involvement in the FA Cup.

Maximum remaining fixtures for Premier Leauge top six Team Maximum fixtures Manchester City 24 Manchester United 24 Arsenal 23 Chelsea 16 Tottenham 16 Liverpool 13

Recovery time

Liverpool would dearly love to still be in with a shout of winning a cup, but the upside is that their schedule allows plenty of recovery time in between their Premier League fixtures.

Their high-intensity playing style under Jurgen Klopp means they run further and sprint more than any of their Premier League rivals, meaning sufficient rest is paramount. Liverpool's shallow squad has been exposed in recent months, with their poor results in January showing how a hectic schedule can affect their form.

Indeed, Klopp alluded to it just a few months after his appointment in 2015. "You have too many games, that's for sure," he said. "You have no break, too many tournaments. I think everybody knows that's not the way."

Top six-head-to-heads

After Monday's trip to Leicester, Liverpool must navigate a home clash with Arsenal and an away game against Manchester City in the space of two weeks. It is a challenging run, but after that they do not have to play any of the other top six sides in their final nine games of the season.

Their rivals are not so fortunate. Manchester United, City and Arsenal all have four remaining games against the rest of the top six. Liverpool will be hoping to capitalise on dropped points as they take on the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Crystal Palace.

Remaining head-to-heads for Premier League top six Team Remaining head-to-heads Arsenal 4 Manchester City 4 Manchester United 4 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 2 Tottenham 2

Average position of remaining opponents

But while Liverpool do not have to contend with too many games against the Premier League's Champions League contenders, their run-in is actually the third hardest of the top six if you go by the average positions of their remaining opponents.

The average position of Liverpool's opponents is 10.9, higher than Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea. They are behind only Arsenal and Manchester United, whose remaining opponents average have an average position of 10.1.

Average positions of Premier League top six remaining opponent Team Average position of remaining opponents Manchester United 10.1 Arsenal 10.3 Liverpool 10.9 Chelsea 11.3 Manchester City 11.5 Tottenham 12.1

Injury list

Worryingly for Klopp, Liverpool have the longest injury list of the top six sides. According to Physioroom.com, the Reds currently have doubts over eight players, including Georginio Wijnaldum, Dejan Lovren and Daniel Sturridge.

Manchester City have five, including long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan, as do Manchester United. Tottenham have four, Arsenal have three and Chelsea are injury free.

Most injuries for Premier League top six Team Injuries Liverpool 8 Manchester City 5 Manchester United 5 Tottenham 4 Arsenal 3 Chelsea 0

Conclusion

So while Liverpool are set to benefit from a clearer schedule than their rivals, there is plenty of evidence to suggest their run-in is not quite as straight-forward as it looks. Klopp's men will need to be at their best in order to guarantee a top-four finish - starting with Monday's trip to Leicester.

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