Liverpool welcome Leeds United to Anfield in a tasty Saturday Night Football clash between two out-of-form clubs.
Should Fulham fail to beat Everton in the teatime kick-off, victory would see Liverpool climb to seventh in the table.
Leeds meanwhile could climb out of the relegation zone with a win if Aston Villa, Southampton and Leicester all lose elsewhere in earlier kick-offs.
Team News
Jordan Henderson is a doubt for Liverpool after he suffered a knee injury in Wednesday’s Champions League win away at Ajax.
Thiago Alcantara (illness) could return but Joel Matip, Diogo Jota (both calf), Luis Diaz (knee), Arthur Melo (muscle) and Naby Keita (unspecified) remain absent.
Leeds could hand the following players late fitness tests due to various injuries; Liam Cooper (muscle), Luis Sinisterra (foot), Tyler Adams (calf), Rodrigo (adductor) and Joe Gelhardt (knee).
Leo Fuhr (illness) plus Archie Gray (toe) are set to return but Adam Forshaw (ankle) and Stuart Dallas (thigh) are still sidelined.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 league meetings against Leeds (W7, D3).
- Leeds have claimed just one point from their last five league visits to Anfield (D1, L4).
- Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are looking to keep three consecutive clean sheets against Leeds for the first time since a four-match run between January 1996 – August 1997.
- James Milner and Fabio Carvalho have been utilised substitutes on more occasions than any other Liverpool player in Premier League this season, having both made six appearances from the bench.
- No Leeds player has scored more league goals this season than Rodrigo (5), of which three of his five goals were scored from headers.
Prediction
Although Liverpool have seen an upturn in form, there is clearly still work to do after last weekend’s defeat at Nottingham Forest, yet Jurgen Klopp’s Reds produced a clinical display to comfortably defeat Ajax in midweek despite still not playing their best football which will motivate them here.
Leeds meanwhile were undone by poor defensive marking in their defeat against Fulham despite a solid performance in defence overall, which is something that could be crucial here on top of better end product after wasting several chances despite excellent attacking buildup play.
Anfield though haven’t been kind to Leeds in recent visits in all competitions so this could be another difficult trip, yet one which offers huge reward if they can take their chances clinically and defend well to frustrate Liverpool.
I though can see Liverpool having enough to scrape this if there is a winner but Klopp could have one eye on a must-win clash against Napoli on Tuesday if want to top their Champions League group, which might offer Leeds hope.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Leeds
Result: Liverpool 1-2 Leeds
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