Liverpool meet Ipswich at Anfield in a huge encounter with implications at both ends of the league table.
Liverpool will stay top of the table regardless of the result but a win coupled with losses for Arsenal and Nottingham Forest could move them nine points clear at the summit.
Victory will see Ipswich climb out of the relegation zone if Wolves fail to beat Arsenal.
Team News
Curtis Jones is ruled out for Liverpool with a knock suffered in their midweek Champions League victory over Lille.
Diogo Jota (fitness) and Joe Gomez (hamstring) remain absent.
Ipswich will welcome Kalvin Phillips back into contention after he was ineligible to feature in their 6-0 loss to Manchester City.
New loan signing, Julio Enciso could be in contention for his debut.
Sammie Szmodics (ankle), Conor Chaplin (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) remain ruled out.
When is Kick-Off?
Liverpool host Ipswich at Anfield on Saturday 25 January at 3pm GMT, untelevised live in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool have avoided defeat in four of their last six Premier League meetings against Ipswich (W3, D1, L2).
- Ipswich have won two of their five previous Premier League trips to Liverpool (W2, D1, L2).
- Three of Liverpool’s last four home clashes against Ipswich in the top-flight ended in a 1-0 result, of which Ipswich won two of those three particular matches.
- Liverpool have conceded first in each of their last three league games at home (W1, D2).
- No Ipswich player has hit the woodwork more than Liam Delap this season, with the English forward having hit the woodwork twice in 21 league appearances.
Prediction
Having battled past Brentford and Lille in the past week in two gutsy performances, Liverpool can feel confident coming into this game as long as they turn up and continue to play with the same quality and confidence that has seen them sit top of both competitions.
Ipswich though have a point to prove after they were just defensively outclassed by Man City in a disappointing display where they just didn’t have much quality to trouble the Cityzens, but they must first do the defensive basics in a game where they aren’t expected to get anything.
In fact last weekend has to be Ipswich’s lowest point of the season and bring more fight into this game but I just can’t see Liverpool losing this by any stretch.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Ipswich
Result: Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich