Premier League: Expect Goals at Anfield

Liverpool vs Leeds United

Given their performances and ninth-placed Premier League finish last season, you can be confident that — when all their players are available — Leeds have enough quality to ensure this poor run doesn’t become chronic.

So said The Athletic website in advance of this game when it was originally scheduled for two days before Christmas.

That was postponed due to a combination of those injuries and Covid.

Fast forward two months and the list of absences, nor league position, doesn’t make any better reading for the Yorkshire club.

Nor do their defensive numbers, with only Norwich City having conceded more this term – heavy defeats in Manchester (5-1 v Utd and 7-0 v City) have hardly helped.

As the article before Christmas also added, injuries or not, you still know what sort of end-to-end game you’re likely to get when watching a Marcelo Bielsa side — typically a lot of shots taken, but a high volume of shots conceded.

And therein lies the problem right now.

Leeds could probably do with going to Liverpool this week and shutting up shop, but the chances of that happening are next to non-existent.

Talking Points

That was so apparent again on Sunday as Bielsa’s men showed character but also plenty of regular defensive failings in a tempestuous 4-2 home defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United  – a contest that will surely have taken a lot out of them.

It was also a contest in which they lost another player to injury when Robin Koch had to change shirts after being on the receiving end of a full-blooded Scott McTominay challenge.

The German was cleared to continue with his head bandaged before being replaced after 31 minutes because of concussion.

Whether he is fit to start at Anfield is unknown, although the club’s best player this term, Raphinha, should start after coming off the bench and scoring to spark a brief comeback for his side.

While Leeds still have a bit of wriggle room between themselves and the bottom three – they remain five points clear of the drop zone – they need to get some more points on the board soon.

Likewise, this is a big match for the hosts, even more so after champions Manchester City were defeated by Spurs to open up the title race again at the weekend.

Indeed, the Merseysiders’ manager Jurgen Klopp has described the current squad as the best he has ever had in football and with frontman Diogo Jota being the only absentee, the title is certainly up for grabs.

Premier League 2022 highlights aplenty potentially await them, unless Leeds can find a different way of playing to help themselves until much-needed reinforcements – not least midfielder Kalvin Phillips and striker Patrick Bamford (last season’s top scorer), who have both missed the majority of the campaign – arrive.

History

Leeds have beaten Liverpool 28 times in history, less than half of the occasions the Merseysiders (61) have enjoyed victories over their Yorkshire counterparts.

There have also been 31 draws, including towards the end of last season, when a late goal from Diego Llorente earned Leeds a point.

The corresponding fixture last season was an opening day thriller when a late Mo Salah penalty edged a seven-goal contest for the Reds.

It is 12 matches and 20 years since Leeds last beat Liverpool – that came in 2001 when Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer scored the goals in a 2-1 win at Anfield.

The last time Leeds defeated them at home was one of the best matches in Premier League history – an encounter when Mark Viduka scored all four goals in an exhilarating 4-3 success.

Betting Tip

	Liverpool vs Leeds United	Over 3.75 @ 1.99
	February 24, 03:45 (GMT+8)

The SBOTOP Premier League 2022 betting odds naturally are very one-sided in favour of the home side.

Liverpool can be backed 1X2 @ 1.17 compared to Leeds @ 15.50.

Even the draw seems unlikely given odds of @ 6.80.

With Asian Handicap odds, the hosts are on offer -2.50 @ 2.26 with Leeds available +2.20 @ 2.20.

Another 4-3 classic in favour of the hosts is priced @ 175.00 with Correct Score.

With the way both sides play, this surely will not be a goalless draw. If it is, a pay day of @ 32.00 could await you.

Total goal 0-1 @ 8.00 is the highest odds I’ve ever known for that option too.

Total goal 2-3 @ 2.46 and 4-6 @ 2.03 are among the options while over 4.00 goals @ 2.38 is also attractive.

I am going to plump for plenty of goals, hence my bet for the total to go over 3.75 goals.

 

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