Can Liverpool Be Premier League Leaders on Christmas Day?

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool

This was a heavyweight clash in its pomp.

And now, with Liverpool mounting a genuine title charge and Wolves looking like they could re-establish themselves among the top flight’s leading lights, this Premier League encounter has a distinct appeal.

SBOBET fans should certainly expect an all-out contest from both clubs who like to play attractive, attacking football.

Talking Points

Liverpool have the incentive of knowing victory would not only maintain their unbeaten league record but also leave them top of the pile on Christmas Day for the first time since 2013.

Interestingly, in the Premier League era, 26 different teams have topped the table on the festive day and 14 of them have gone onto win the title, including the last four winners: Manchester City, Chelsea (twice), and Leicester City.

Also remarkable, Liverpool were the last team not to go onto title glory when table-toppers on December 25.

That will hardly be on their minds though when they travel to Molineux.

Based on the stats, it should be an away banker.

Despite some unfavourable comparisons to last season, Mo Salah is still the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 10 goals and scored a hat-trick in Liverpool’s last away game.

In contrast, Wolves have conceded 11 at home, which is more than Leicester, Brighton and Crystal Palace and the same number as second-from-bottom strugglers Huddersfield.

Wolves’ status has gone from fearless shiny new club to fading a little, to possible contenders, and then to finish best of the rest.

Right now, they occupy that seventh spot after three straight wins. Particularly relevant to this one is their impressive record against the so-called ‘Big Six’, including draws with Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal and a recent triumph over high-flying Chelsea.

Although this clash in the Black Country will see Liverpool as clear favourites, it should be remembered that Wolves have just won three on the bounce with a fine mini-run of their own. Their success against Chelsea seemed to have sparked their victories over Newcastle and Bournemouth.

Their boss, Nuno Espirito Santo, may be forced to reshuffle his frontline, with in-form creator Diogo Jota forced off with a hamstring injury in their victory over Bournemouth last time out.

Nuno Espirito Santo hopes to defy the odds and lead the Wolves to victory against Liverpool in Premier League — Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo celebrates after his side won 2-0 against Bournemouth in recent Premier League match

Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up knocks last week, while James Milner is a doubt for Liverpool. However, boss Jurgen Klopp is expected to stick to the side which ran out 3-1 winners over Manchester United last weekend.

This is the first of what could be three key meetings between the clubs this season.

In just over a fortnight, they will meet again at Molineux to play in the third round of the FA Cup.

They are then scheduled to clash at Anfield on the final day of the Premier League season next May—how Liverpool would love to be a point clear at the top then, as they are now!

Anyway, back to the present day and Premier League 2018 news tells us this could be a Christmas cracker.

History

It is quite an established history.

Their last meeting was at the start of last year and was one of the great FA Cup shocks.

Wolves, under the management of Paul Lambert, masterminded a superb 2-1 victory in the fourth round of the competition, thanks to first-half goals from Richard Stearman and Andreas Weimann.

That aside, Liverpool won five of their eight meetings in the Premier League, with two draws and one Wolves success—at Anfield in December 2010 when Stephen Ward scored the solitary goal.

Their most recent league meeting was at Molineux in January 2012 when Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners, thanks to goals from Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt.

Overall, Liverpool have 49 triumphs to Wolves’ 35 wins, while there have been 17 draws.