Liverpool find themselves in a hugely advantageous position as they seek to win the league for the first time in 29 years. After Manchester City’s costly loss – a Gerrard-esque slip, you might call it – at Newcastle, the Reds are now four points clear in the title race with a game in hand. Even better news is that the game in question is against Leicester City, who began January by winning at Everton but whose subsequent level of performance has given little indication that they could return to Merseyside to pick up another three points.
There’s no doubt about it, Liverpool are favourites – most bookmakers are offering odds of 11/1 and longer on the visitors to get the win here – but they’ll need to be careful. Aside from taking three points at Everton, Leicester’s most recent victories came in late December – in consecutive matches against Chelsea and Manchester City. If the 2016 champions continue this record of raising their game to meet a challenge, they could yet have a spanner to throw in the works of this title race.
Another Goal-Fest In Store?
Both these sides have had 11 days to digest their most recent results, as the FA Cup fixtures of last weekend were irrelevant to two clubs who exited in the Third Round. The similarities don’t end there – while Leicester were laid out flat by an injury-time goal in a 4-3 loss at Wolves, Liverpool also conceded deep into time added on. The difference being that they still won their game by that same 4-3 scoreline.
With both sides having shown the ability to be frazzled at the back while showing much more confidence going forward, we could be in line for another high-scoring occasion at Anfield. Unibet are offering odds of 27/20 on more than 3.5 goals in this game – this would be a far from surprising outcome, particularly in a game which will feature Mo Salah, Jamie Vardy, Sadio Mane and a number of other gifted attackers.
Liverpool To Avoid The Banana Skin?
In the first half of the season, there was no shortage of pundits indicating that – while Liverpool were keeping pace with Manchester City – the Reds would slip and drop points before their Mancunian rivals would. Not only that, they would do it more often, and against teams they should be beating. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side are in their current position of power because the defending champions have since mid-December lost to Crystal Palace, Leicester and Newcastle. In that spell, Liverpool have lost once in the league – to Manchester City.
It’s true that, in previous seasons, this is the kind of game that would have looked like a banana skin for Liverpool – especially given that Leicester are a team entirely capable of beating the Premier League’s elite and then somehow losing to Newport County. This season, though, Liverpool have been ruthless in picking up points where they are expected to do so. Although we’d expect the Leicester forward line to be good for a goal or more, Liverpool’s own attack should have more than enough here. We therefore think Coral’s odds of 15/8, for the hosts to win a game where both teams score, represent a decent Bet of the Day.
Salah To Continue The Best “Tough Season” Ever?
Liverpool’s perma-smiling Egyptian forward Mo Salah made a huge impact last season when he scored 32 league goals, 43 in all competitions, and was the Premier League’s top scorer. Salah has spent much of this season being the focus of unflattering comparisons with 2017/18, which is probably fair enough. After all, this campaign he’s only scored sixteen in the league, nineteen in all, and is… the Premier League’s top scorer. If this is him in a down-season, then Liverpool fans will settle for it.
Salah tops the betting for first scorer here, and is available at 47/20 with 888. In his three meetings with tonight’s opponents since moving to Liverpool, he’s scored three goals. It would be reckless to back against him adding to that tally this evening. It’s more than possible he could bag a brace – as he did the last time Leicester came to Anfield – and in so doing would bring up the half-century of league goals in a Liverpool shirt before the end of January in his second season. But of course, let’s hear more about how he’s lost his touch…
Bet of the Day:
Liverpool to win and BTTS (15/8, Coral); Salah to score first (47/20, 888); More than 3.5 goals (27/20, Unibet)
