Category: Match Previews

Match Preview: Shrewsbury v Liverpool

Liverpool has a chance to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2014/15 when they visit League One outfit Shrewsbury Town on Sunday afternoon. Sam Ricketts’ men earned a date with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side courtesy of victory in their third round replay against Bristol City of the Championship earlier this month.

Under Klopp, the Reds have endured a poor run in England’s premier cup competition with the German using the FA Cup as an opportunity to blood his youngsters. While that is likely to continue against the Shrews, the Reds have their best chance of going deep in the cup this season given the commanding lead they hold in the Premier League.

Ricketts’ men have been on a tough run in League One and currently find themselves in 16th place but are well clear of the relegation zone and able to focus on an unlikely cup run. In fact, the Shrews are yet to win a League One game this decade having last tasted victory on 22 December but still managed to upset Bristol City in the last round.

Aaron Pierre’s late strike in the replay was the difference between the two sides in what was an extremely close tie between two sides separated by 32 places on the English football pyramid. That result showed that Ricketts’ men are capable of raising their game for the big FA Cup ties but they will need to pull off an even bigger upset against the Reds.

While Klopp has never regarded the domestic cups as a priority, that may change if the Reds can get past Shrewsbury and into the fifth round on Sunday. At that point, the Reds will be in the last 16 and with the Premier League looking promising the German will have the luxury of putting more effort into the cup.

However, even if the Reds do make it through, Klopp may choose to reward the mixture of kids and squad players who got him there, especially with a Champions League round of 16 tie on the horizon. Any potential fifth round tie would begin in the week of Wednesday 4 March 2020, which is between the two ties against Atletico Madrid but a full 2 weeks before the second leg at Anfield.

Unsurprisingly, given the relative standing of the two sides, Liverpool and Shrewsbury Town have only played each other once before with the Reds victorious on that occasion. Stan Collymore, Jason McAteer and Robbie Fowler scored the goals back in 1996 as Roy Evans’ side won 4-0 in another FA Cup fourth round tie before the Reds lost to Manchester United in that season’s FA Cup final.

Team News

Ricketts has no major injury concerns to worry about as his side prepare for a difficult challenge against the current runaway Premier League leaders. New signings Josh Vela and Sam Hart will be in contention to start here though it is more likely that the Shrews stick with what has been a settled lineup all season.

Ricketts has regularly lined up with either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 this season and there is no reason to suggest the former Wales international with vary those tactics drastically ahead of the Reds’ visit. The back five of Donald Love, Ro-Shaun Williams, Ethan Ebanks-Landell, Pierre and Scott Golbourne lay the foundations for Ricketts though the Shrews do lack a prolific goal-scorer up front.

Meanwhile, Klopp has confirmed that Dejan Lovren and Naby Keita could feature on Sunday having returned to training this week, though the latter may be limited to an appearance from the bench. The pair will likely be joined by Fabinho and Joel Matip who have been on the bench for the Reds’ last 2 Premier League outings.

However, the visit to the West Midlands will come too early for James Milner, Xherdan Shaqiri and Nathaniel Clyne to feature while the Reds are yet to learn the extent of Sadio Mane’s hamstring injury against Wolves. The Senegalese international hobbled off after half an hour on Thursday night and could face a spell on the sidelines while Adam Lallana missed that game entirely through illness.

Of the kids who have featured in the previous rounds of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season, Neco Williams, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones will likely retain their places in a strong Liverpool eleven. The trio have been very impressive when given the chance and should be joined by Algerian left-back Yasser Larouci who replaced the injured Milner after 9 minutes in the last round.

Of those likely to miss out, Pedro Chirivella would consider himself unlucky not to feature against the Shrews having impressed against Everton but would need both Lallana and Keita to be unfit to start in order to feature here. Meanwhile, the likes of Divock Origi, Adrian and Takumi Minamino will all be given the chance to get much needed minutes under their belts having warmed the pine in recent weeks.

Prediction

Despite the plethora of changes Klopp will likely make to his starting eleven, it is impossible to look past the current European and World champions here. While you never know what upset the FA Cup will throw up, on paper a heavily rotated Liverpool side should still be far too good for their League One opponents.

Given that the Reds knocked out a close to full strength Everton side in the last round with a slightly weaker eleven, I’m going to predict a relatively easy 4-0 win for the Reds. Having scored just 24 times in 25 league games this season, I cannot see the Shrews breaking down a Liverpool defence that will likely feature Champions League quality defenders.

Match Preview: Wolves v Liverpool

In terms of tough tests the Reds will face in the coming months, Thursday night’s visit to Wolverhampton could prove to be one of the toughest in the hunt for Premier League glory. After the trip to Molineux Stadium, the Reds face just one side currently in the top half of the table, Southampton, between now and the visit to Manchester City in April.

There is a legitimate chance that by the time the Reds next take on Pep Guardiola’s side they could already be Premier League champions. Wins against Wolves on Thursday and West Ham next week could see the Reds 19 points clear of their rivals already and needing just 8 wins from their final 14 games to clinch the title.

Of course, Jurgen Klopp will not allow his side to be thinking that far ahead and knows that Wolves are a side perfectly situated to cause the Reds problems. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves find themselves in 6th place in the league, behind Manchester United only on goal difference and well placed to again qualify for European football.

The two sides last met just three weeks ago when the Reds came out 1-0 winners at Anfield courtesy of Sadio Mane’s first-half strike but the result could easily have been different on another day. First, Wolves saw an equaliser ruled out for a marginal, but correct, offside call before Nuno’s men applied some late pressure to no avail.

This season, Wolves have been the comeback experts and they lived up to that reputation at the weekend by overturning a 2-0 deficit in Southampton to win 3-2. Coupled with a similar recovery against City in December, it is clear that Nuno has instilled a fighting spirit in his side who will not roll over for the league leaders.

However, Wolve’s recent run against the Reds has been far from ideal with the West Midlands’ outfit yet to score against Klopp’s men in 3 attempts. While they have had better luck in the FA Cup, knocking the Reds out in 2017 and 2019, the Merseyside outfit have had the better of them in the league.

If Nuno’s side has one advantage, it is that they have a 9-day break between the visit of the Reds and their next fixture – a trip to Manchester United next weekend. Having been knocked out of the FA Cup to the same opponents after a replay last week, Nuno will know his side can go all out for the Reds without having to worry about their next game.

Meanwhile, by the time Wolves next step out onto the pitch, Liverpool will have played twice – first in the FA Cup at Shrewsbury on Sunday and then away to West Ham on Wednesday to make up their game in hand. While Klopp will almost certainly make 11 changes for the trip to the League One outfit, the Reds will still have to worry about a more compact schedule.

Team News

Wolves will definitely be without Ruben Vinagre after the 20-year-old Portuguese left-back suffered a hamstring injury against United in the FA Cup. However, that is Nuno’s only major concern with none of his other regular first-team players currently on the treatment table.

The Portuguese manager has used just 19 players in the Premier League so far this season including Patrick Cutrone who has returned to Italy with Fiorentina on loan for the rest of the season. With 9 players having played more than 20 games so far this season, Nuno has stuck with those he trusts and there is no reason to suggest there will be any major changes on Thursday night.

For Klopp, the injury list is beginning to clear with Joel Matip and Fabinho returning to the bench against United while Dejan Lovren and Xherdan Shaqiri are said to be close to a return. That leaves just James Milner, Naby Keita and Nathaniel Clyne on the long-term injury list though I’d expect the likes to Matip and Fabinho to seek more comeback minutes in FA Cup.

Having named the same eleven in each of the Reds last two games and with changes likely to come in the FA Cup on Sunday, I expect Klopp will opt for continuity again. While both Divock Origi and Adam Lallana deserve more minutes having impressed when called upon, both will be a key part of the side that takes on Shrewsbury on Sunday.

Prediction

They say past performance is the best predictor of the future and with that in mind, I think the Reds will win again at Molineux without conceding. The Reds look so solid at the back at the moment and you just would not bet against them scoring on any given week so I’m going to go for a 2-0 win for the Reds.

Match Preview: Liverpool v Manchester United

On Sunday afternoon, Liverpool have the chance to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to 16 points with a game in hand when Manchester United visit Anfield. Manchester City’s slip up against Crystal Palace enables the Reds to solidify their grasp on the Premier League title with Jurgen Klopp’s men now needing just 11 wins from their last 17 games.

Of course, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side inflicted the Reds’ only dropped points of the campaign so far at Old Trafford in October when Adam Lallana’s late equaliser saved a point for his side. Despite playing in front of their home fans, United sat deep and played reactionary football on that night and there is no reason to suggest Solskjaer won’t try to repeat the trick.

Solskjaer lined his side up with a back 5 in October which did a decent job of compressing the space for Liverpool’s front three to operate but has been replicated with limited success elsewhere. United have rarely reverted to a similar formation since but may be tempted to try and repeat the trick, especially given Solskjaer’s comments about having a handle on the Reds.

Recent history between the bitter rivals suggests that this may not be a classic – since 2015, only Liverpool’s 3-1 victory last season and United’s 2-1 triumph the season before that having witnessed more than 2 goals. In that run, 6 encounters have ended in 1-1 or 0-0 draws while the sides have split the other to games 2 each.

It is often said that the form book goes out the window on Derby day and there is certainly a feeling that despite their relative positions on the league table, United have the ability to trouble Klopp’s men. Boasting a youthful and pacy forward line makes United difficult to handle on the counter-attack where the fitness of Marcus Rashford could prove crucial.

With pressure continuing to surround Solskjaer amid rumours that Mauricio Pochettino is set to take over at Old Trafford next season, the Norwegian knows a good result here would buy him some more time in the United dugout. However, with an already dominant position at the top of the Premier League, the Reds know they can not afford to slip up in games like this if they want to end the 30-year title drought.

Team News

The big positive for Klopp is that Joel Matip and Fabinho have returned to action and could take part against United, though the German will likely stick with those who have stepped up in recent weeks. However, Dejan Lovren, Naby Keita and James Milner are all still out, severely limiting the Reds options in the middle of the park.

Having had more than a week to recover from their efforts against Tottenham last Saturday, Klopp will likely field a strong eleven and will look to lay down a marker against their old foes. While the rest of the side just about picks itself, I’d go for Geroginio Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Jordan Henderson in midfield.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer’s biggest concern is the status of star forward Marcus Rashford who hobbled off against Wolves in the FA Cup in mid-week. The Norwegian was somewhat non-committal in his responses when asked by reporters ahead of the game whether Rashford would feature but would surely be risked if possible for such a big game.

Otherwise, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Marcos Rojo, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly remain on United’s treatment table while club captain Ashley Young has left for Inter Milan. There is one piece of good news for the club with Diogo Dalot returning to training, though the Portuguese right-back is unlikely to feature here.

Prediction

I never get my hopes up before a Liverpool v United clash and based on recent outings between the sides, a tense draw is probably the most likely result at Anfield. While the Reds have been in imperious form, United will be trying to ensure their rivals don’t go a full season undefeated and I think it will end all square at 1-1.

Match Preview: Tottenham v Liverpool

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday with a trip to North London to face Jose Mourinho’s struggling Tottenham Hotspur side. This will be the Reds first visit to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, opened last April, having had their visit last year relocated to Wembley Stadium due to delays with completing the new 62,303 seat venue.

Having made the Champions League final last season, where they of course lost to the Reds, Spurs have endured a difficult start to this campaign which saw popular manager Mauricio Pochettino lose his job in November. The North Londoners were languishing in 14th place when the axe fell on the Argentine, though results have only improved slightly under his successor.

Results have been mixed since Daniel Levy decided that Mourinho was the man to take the club forward with the Portuguese manager winning 6 of his 12 games in charge. For the most part, Mourinho’s Spurs have won points in games they were expected to while losing comfortably to Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

To compound Spurs’ issues, Jurgen Klopp has a good record against Mourinho having lost only twice to the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea manager in 10 previous encounters. While the German has won 4 and drawn 4 from the other 8, Liverpool will be confident of improving that record in their current form.

Mourinho bucked the trend of fielding a weakened eleven during his side’s FA Cup third round tie with Middlesbrough but were still unable to overcome their Championship opposition. Mourinho made just three changes to his starting eleven for the trip to the Riverside Stadium but a 1-1 draw means Spurs have to contend with a replay on Tuesday night.

Liverpool’s record against Tottenham in recent seasons has been near perfect with the North London outfit having won just 1 of the last 16 encounters between the two sides. Further, since that 4-1 victory for Spurs back in October 2017, the Reds have won 4 out of 5 including the Champions League final in Madrid.

All things considered, everything points towards another difficult afternoon for Spurs but one should never underestimate Mourinho’s desire to disrupt and spoil other people’s parties. Having famously time-wasted from the first minute against Brendan Rodgers’ side in 2013/14 and ending the Reds title bid courtesy of Steven Gerrard’s slip, the Portuguese would love to replicate that result against Klopp’s men.

Team News

If Mourinho is to mastermind an upset here, he will need to do so in the midst of an injury crisis that leaves him shorn of 5 regular first-team players. While there may be some positive news for Spurs with Danny Rose back in training, Mourinho will definitely be without top-scorer Harry Kane, club captain Hugo Lloris, summer signing Tanguy Ndombele, French international Moussa Sissoko and left-back Ben Davies.

With midfield creator Christian Eriksen likely to leave this month following interest from Manchester United and Inter Milan, Mourinho’s problems could be about to get worst. The Danish international’s contract expires at the end of the season meaning that Spurs are likely to look to offload one of their star men this window rather than lose him from free in the summer.

With Kane out until April, Mourinho’s striking options are limited with Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura the most likely to deputise in the forward positions. Having experimented with a 3-5-2 against Middlesbrough, I expect Mourinho will stick with a similar formation against the Reds and will seek to limit the space for Klopp’s men to play into.

For the Reds, Klopp has confirmed that James Milner is unavailable to feature at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having sustained a muscle injury against Everton in the FA Cup. The Englishman joins Naby Keita, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Fabinho on the treatment table at Melwood, though Joel Matip and Xherdan Shaqiri have returned to training.

Klopp also welcomed back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during a second-half cameo in the FA Cup and will likely parachute the English international straight back into the starting eleven due to a lack of fit options. With the festive fixture congestion now over and 8 days until the visit of Manchester United, expect the Reds to field a strong eleven.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Andrew Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson were all rested against the Blues and will return to action here. Having had more than a week to rest since their clash with Sheffield United on January 2, the Reds first-team should be fit and ready to go against Mourinho’s side.

Prediction

While things are never easy where Mourinho is involved, it is difficult to see a way for Spurs to upset the Reds when they are missing so many key players. Liverpool should be fit and firing and I think they’ll record their first victory at Spurs’ new stadium courtesy of a 2-0 victory to mirror the scoreline when the sides met at Wembley last season.

Match Preview: Liverpool v Everton

The first weekend of January can only mean one thing, it’s FA Cup third round time! While some of the magic of the cup has diminished in recent seasons with the Premier League sides routinely not taking the competition seriously, third round weekend is still one of the highlights of the British sporting calendar.

Liverpool will start their campaign with a Merseyside derby at Anfield having drawn local rivals Everton in the third round draw back in December. Since Jurgen Klopp joined the Reds, the German has never made it beyond the fourth round and will likely shuffle the pack again with a Premier League title push to sustain.

While there is a legitimate question as to whether the Reds should look to capitalise on the current squad by chasing every trophy available, that has not been Klopp’s position in the past. While I’m sure he has never set out to lose, the big German is too competitive for that, the domestic cups represent a chance to blood young players and I expect that will be the same again on Sunday.

It remains to be seen whether Sunday’s clash comes too soon for new signing Takumi Minamino, the £7.25 million arrival from Red Bull Salzburg who is likely to be Liverpool’s only January business. Having joined up with his teammates for training on New Year’s eve, Klopp may choose not to risk the Japanese international in the derby.

For the Blue half of Merseyside, the FA Cup clash is the perfect opportunity to avenge their 5-2 defeat at the same venue last month and to test their improvement under new manager Carlo Ancelotti. Having already masterminded victory over the Reds before he was dismissed from Napoli last month, the Italian will feel he has the handle of Klopp’s side.

In fact, despite a disappointing start to their Serie A campaign that saw the Neapolitans languishing in mid-table, Ancelotti’s side troubled Liverpool in both encounters in the Champions League. An enthralling 2-0 win at San Paolo back in September was followed by a tense 1-1 draw at Anfield where the Italian’s seemed to stifle the Reds as well as anyone has in recent times.

The Italian’s didn’t look to force the issue at Anfield but largely restricted Liverpool’s attacking options with a compact 4-4-2 that could become a 5-3-2 when Napoli were under the pump. Of course, Marco Silva tried something similar in his final game in charge with a 5-4-1 that was torn apart by the Reds in their clash at Anfield 1 week later but Ancelotti has already got more from the Blues than his Portuguese predecessor had this season.

In the Italian’s three games in charge so far, the Blues have won 2 and lost 1, a narrow defeat to Manchester City, while showing more passion than they had under their previous boss. It can sometimes be easy to reduce football to intangibles such as heart and desire but in truth the Everton squad appears more motivated under their illustrious new manager and will be keen to lay down a marker of their intent against the Reds.

Team News

For the Reds, Klopp has confirmed that Fabinho, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri are all recovering from their injuries well but will likely miss the derby. Meanwhile, the club are awaiting scans to determine the extent of Naby Keita’s groin injury that was sustained in the warm-up before the Sheffield United game.

While there is a question as to whether Minamino will make his debut for the club, recalled Stuttgart loanee Nathaniel Phillips is likely to feature having been recalled to Anfield for exactly this purpose. Phillips may be joined by Rhian Brewster who Klopp confirmed would be part of the squad having recovered from an ankle injury.

While rotation is almost guaranteed, the Reds have few fit first-team options at the moment with Adam Lallana, Divock Origi and Adrian the only experienced players who didn’t feature against the Blades. Expect all three to come into the fold against the Blues while youngsters such as Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams should get a chance.

For Ancelotti, Alex Iwobi, Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are all on the treatment table, the latter two for the foreseeable future. However, there is positive news for the Italian with Morgan Schneiderlin available and Bernard and Fabian Delph set to undergo late fitness tests.

During his time in Naples, Ancelotti tended to make only a couple of changes in the Coppa Italia and will likely field a strong eleven with a potential statement win over the Reds on the line. With the threat of relegation removed for now, the FA Cup represents a chance for the Blues to emerge from a tough season with optimism.

Prediction

While much depends on the respective teams that each manager sets out at Anfield, there is a feeling that a cup run would mean a lot more to the blue half of Merseyside than it would the Red. Rightly or wrongly, Klopp has never taken the FA Cup overly seriously and I think Ancelotti will seal more bragging rights here with a 2-1 win.

Match Preview: Liverpool v Sheffield United

Liverpool will start 2020 and a new decade at Anfield on Thursday night when Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United visit the reigning World Champions. The Blades have been the surprise package of the Premier League so far this season and find themselves in 8th place in their first season back in the top flight since 2006/07.

Wilder’s men were unlucky not to get at least a point against the Reds in the first meeting between the sides at Bramall Lane back in September when Georginio Wijnaldum’s strike was the difference between the two sides. The Dutchman’s volley from the end of the area squirmed through ‘keeper Dean Henderson’s arms in the second-half but the Blades recovered to sit in 5th place at Christmas.

Possessing the equal second-best defence in the league, Wilder has made his team difficult to break down this season with the Blades only conceding three goals in a single game once so far. The Blades were missing Henderson, equal second for clean sheets this season, on that night due to the ‘keeper being unavailable to face his parent club Manchester United with the game ending in a 3-3 draw.

While Wilder’s men are tight at the back, 23 goals in the league puts them below the likes of 17th places Aston Villa and is the one area where the Blades could improve. While former Bournemouth striker Lys Mousset has chipped in with 5 goals this season, Wilder has preferred start David McGoldrick so far this term.

Despite the Irishman remaining goalless in 17 appearances so far this season, Wilder clearly values McGoldrick’s link-up play which has also made him a fan favourite at Bramall Lane. While the English manager has kept a fairly consistent back 5 and midfield, Wilder has experimented with his front line with the likes of Oli McBurnie and Callum Robinson also in contention.

The Blades went down 2-0 to Manchester City last time out at the Etihad Stadium but could consider themselves a little unlucky not to have staged an upset against the current Premier League Champions. First, Mousset saw his first-half strike ruled out for a marginal offside call before referee Chris Kavanagh inadvertently tackled John Fleck in the direct lead up to City’s opener.

For the Reds, Jurgen Klopp’s men enter the new decade top of the Premier League but will need to overcome an unwelcome record if they are to ensure they start 2020 in the same form as 2019. Since the German arrived at Anfield, the Reds have won just 6 out of 16 League fixtures in January with the side often looking exhausted by the midway point of the season.

Such was the case last season when a loss to City in the first game of 2019 and a pair of draws against Leicester and West Ham in late January and early February ultimately cost the Reds the league title. This season, with at least 6 games in all competitions to come before February, Klopp needs to avoid history repeating itself to avoid passing momentum to their title rivals.

Team News

Klopp’s injury list has grown slightly with Xherdan Shaqiri joining Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Nathaniel Clyne on the Melwood treatment table. The Swiss midfielder suffered a slight muscle strain prior to the visit of Wolves on Sunday and leaves his manager with only 13 fit outfield players to choose from.

With new signing Takumi Minamino and the recalled Nathaniel Phillips unavailable due to registration restrictions, with Klopp indicating both may feature against Everton in the FA Cup on Sunday. Therefore, James Milner, Naby Keita and Divock Origi are the only likely changes to the team that beat Wolves last time out though Klopp may choose to play his first team here and field a youthful lineup in the cup.

Having played City on Sunday, Wilder’s men will arrive at Anfield with equal rest time to the Premier League leaders but fewer injury concerns to report. Backup ‘keeper Simon Moore is likely to miss out while the Blades will monitor the fitness of John Lundstram who missed the clash with City after injuring his ankle on Boxing Day.

In his place, former Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic made his first start of the season but looked rusty alongside regular pair Fleck and Oliver Norwood. Therefore, Wilder may look to rush the Englishman back into his regular midfield three which has started 17 of the 20 games the Blades have played so far this season.

Prediction

Wilder has built a team that does not go down easily and do not lose by much even when they do find themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline. With both sides having limited options to choose from, I expect this will be much the same with two tired sets of players looking forward to the end of the festive period. 1-0 to the Reds.

Match Preview: Liverpool v Wolves

Fresh off their giant-killing against Manchester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to make it two in three days when they visit Anfield on Sunday. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men upset the reigning Premier League Champions 3-2 on Friday thanks to late goals from Raul Jimenez and Matt Doherty after Ederson was sent off in the first half for Pep Guardiola’s men.

However, thanks to the gruelling Christmas fixture list, Wolves visit the current Premier League leaders less than 48 hours after those heroics at Molineux. Currently sitting in seventh on the table, Wolves can enter the top 4 if they win at Anfield and other results go their way in a season where Champions League qualification appears to be wide open.

So far this season Nuno has utilised the same core group of players in the Premier League with Willy Boly’s 8 starts the highest outside the regular starting eleven. However, in the midst of fixture congestion that the Portuguese manager has labelled ‘absurd’ and with a visit to Watford on New Year’s day, some rotation is almost inevitable at Anfield.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have lucked into a relatively manageable festive period and have had a full 24 hours extra to recover than their opponents to Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s men then have another 4 days until they face Sheffield United on 2 January 2020 meaning that the German has less to worry about in terms of player fatigue.

Wolves were absolutely dominant against 10-man City and were unfortunate to find themselves 2-0 down after 50 minutes thanks to two Raheem Sterling sucker-punches. However, Nuno’s men maintained 62% possession and continued to put pressure of Guardiola’s men (21 shots, 8 on target) which was eventually rewarded with a second-half comeback.

After a slow start to the season, Wolves have found some relatively consistent form of late to push themselves into contention for European qualification. Currently competing in the Europa League, their first continental sojourn since 1980/81, Nuno’s men will Espanyol when the knockout rounds begin in February.

Things could have been even better for Wolves this season if not for their propensity for drawing games, with only rudderless Arsenal equalling the 9 draws they have recorded in the first half of the season. Despite being tight at the back with only 24 goals conceded, a lack of firepower at times has meant Nuno’s men have not always got the result they general play has deserved.

Liverpool will debut their golden FIFA World Champions badge against Wolves after being giving dispensation to add the emblem to their shirt as a one-off in the Premier League. The Reds will be permitted to wear the badge awarded to the winners of the FIFA Club World Cup in Champions League games for a year but had to apply to the Premier League for an exception due to the league’s rules.

Team News

Liverpool will still be without long-term absentees Fabinho, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with Klopp confirming all are on track to return before February. With that injury crisis in mind, Klopp has recalled centre-back Nathaniel Phillips from his loan spell with Stuttgart in Germany to add depth to the squad.

In more positive news, Klopp confirmed that captain Jordan Henderson is expected to be fit to feature against Wolves despite being withdrawn due to a knock sustained against Leicester. The former Sunderland man hobbled off after receiving a blow to his shin at the King Power Stadium but has not suffered any long-term repercussions.

With 3 games in 8 days, no more intense than the usual during a Champions League week, expect Klopp to name a strong side with a small amount of rotation especially in midfield. James Milner is one of the prime candidates from more minutes while Xherdan Shaqiri could return to the fold if the Reds look to spring a tactical surprise.

Wolves will be without centre-back Boly and youngster Morgan Gibbs-White who have both been missing for close to two months with a broken leg and lower back injury respectively. However, Nuno has no further injury concerns despite the busy period and will only need to consider which of his men have recovered from their exploits at Molineux.

With a simply ridiculous 3 games in 6 days, the Portuguese manager will surely make some changes in order to keep his squad fresh but with a small squad to draw from his options are limited. Summer signing Patrick Cutrone is the most obvious candidate to come in while fellow new arrival Pedro Neto has made just 1 start in the league but could be called upon here.

Prediction

Wolves come into this on a high after their victory over City but with less time to recover and a smaller squad, Nuno’s men would need to pull off something special to repeat the trick at Anfield. The Reds have looked stronger at the back in recent weeks and, based on their performance against Leicester, you wouldn’t bet against them finding the back of the net. I’ll go for a 2-0 win for the Reds to round out a successful 2019.

Match Preview: Leicester City v Liverpool

Almost two weeks after they were last in Premier League action, Liverpool travel to Leicester on Boxing Day for a top of the table clash with Brendan Rodgers’ side. The clash could be defining in the title race with the Reds currently 10 points clear of the Foxes with a game in hand with Manchester City one point further back.

Jurgen Klopp’s men return to domestic affairs as the freshly crowned World Champions and have reportedly been partially successful in their application to wear the FIFA gold badge in the Premier League. The Reds are permitted to wear the badge as World Champions but had to apply for dispensation from the Premier League who have allowed Liverpool to have the badge for one game only against Wolves on the 29th.

However, that will be the least of Klopp’s concerns as he looks to mastermind a victory over his predecessor who has steered Leicester to a surprise second place so far this season. Despite losing Harry Maguire in the summer, the Foxes have the equal best defence in the league alongside the Reds and have scored just one fewer goal.

Given the similarity of their goal-scoring records, it is somewhat surprising to see the gap opening between the two clubs on the table but that is testament to Liverpool’s ability to grind out narrow victories. In fact, the first game between the sides ended in a late, and controversial, 2-1 win for the Reds who relied on a last-minute penalty to secure the three points.

While Foxes’ fans have a right to feel aggrieved by the result at Anfield in October, in truth the Reds bossed the game with Leicester’s goal coming from their only shot on target. Meanwhile, the Reds wasted a barrage of chances but controlled the flow of the match and while Sadio Mane did appear to go down easily for the penalty, there was contact from Foxes’ winger Marc Albrighton in the box.

The Foxes have been fortunate to have a striker in Jamie Vardy who has been in career-best form this season with 17 league goals in just 18 games so far. Vardy, who turns 33 in January, is 6 goals ahead of the next highest scorer in the league and should comfortably better his career-best tally of 24 goals from Leicester’s title-winning season.

The former non-league striker seems to be getting better with age and has shown no signs of losing his rapid acceleration that has trouble defences in the Premier League for half a decade. However, up against a likely centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, neither slouches themselves, the former Fleetwood Town man will need to show his intelligence on Boxing Day if he is to continue his goal-scoring streak.

Since the Foxes returned to the Premier League in 2014-15, the Reds have lost to the East-Midlands outfit just twice in the league and once in the League Cup, though all three encounters came at the King Power Stadium. Most notably of the three, Claudio Ranieri’s side dispatched the Reds 2-0 in February 2016 on course to lifting the title that season courtesy of two second-half Vardy strikes.

It remains to be seen whether Klopp’s men feel any ill-effects of their trip to Qatar which culminated with 120 minutes in an uncustomary heat against Flamengo last Saturday. While the side will have kept celebrations to a minimum given the task at hand back at home, it may take the squad some time to readjust to the bracing British conditions.

Team News

Leicester have close to a full squad to pick from on Thursday night with only Matty James unavailable and Harvey Barnes expected to recover in time to feature after sustaining an ankle injury last weekend. Rotation has been minimal so far this season under Rodgers with 6 players having started every game so far this season and another 3 featuring in 17 of 18.

That means that Rodgers’ first choice defence of ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu and Ben Chilwell will be tasked with continuing their side’s impressive defensive record. Further forward, Youri Tielemans has been crucial in midfield alongside James Maddison and Wilfred Ndidi with Vardy likely to start as a lone striker.

For the Reds, Klopp has confirmed that the ankle injury sustained by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Qatar will see the former Arsenal man out until at least the New Year. Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, Fabinho and Nathaniel Clyne on the Melwood treatment table in what is shaping as a mini injury crisis for the Reds.

Klopp could not afford to lose any more players at the back but given the importance of the Leicester clash, expect Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk and Andrew Robertson to all start ahead of Alisson Becker. Meanwhile, Naby Keita will hope to continue his recent impressive form in the absence of Oxlade-Chamberlain while Georginio Wijnaldum should return to action after missing out in Qatar.

Prediction

If the first game between the sides is anything to go by, this will be a tight game with Leicester boasting arguably the most impressive defence in the league this season. The Foxes also possess speed and skill on the counter-attack and, despite playing at home, Rodgers will likely look to set his team out to player reactive football.

However, the Reds front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino has begun to click back into gear in recent weeks and will not be a profligate at the King Power as they were at Anfield. Given the quality of the two sides, and the Reds penchant for this scoreline, I’m going to go for a tight and nervy 2-1 victory for the Reds to solidify their lead at the top of the table.

Match Preview: Liverpool v Flamengo

Liverpool will hope to lift the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in their history on Saturday when the Reds face Brazilian side Flamengo at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. However, the 2019 Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Serie A winners will be hoping to spoil Jurgen Klopp’s party in a competition that often means more to the sides outside of Europe.

Based in Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo have had a remarkable year under former Benfica and Sporting CP manager Jorge Jesus who turned around the side’s fortunes when he joined in June. The Portuguese manager has brought in a who’s who of formerly big-name Brazilian footballers and romped to the domestic title by 16 points while scoring 86 goals in the process.

The club also lifted their second Copa Libertadores with a 2-1 victory over reigning South American Champions River Plate last month with Flamengo having last lifted the trophy in 1981. Remarkably, the European Champions that year was also Liverpool, with the Brazilian side claiming victory in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup between the sides in Japan.

The Brazilian’s didn’t have it all their own way in the Club World Cup Semi-Final last week and trailed for most of the first half to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal. However, a second half comeback and a late red card to Al-Hilal’s Peruvian winger Andre Carrillo saw Jesus’ men through 3-1 to set up a rematch with Liverpool.

Given the elevated status of the Club World Cup in South America, Flamengo have been well supported by their travelling supporters in Qatar and will feel like they have a home game on Saturday. The Brazilian side will be desperate to prove that they can compete with the best sides in Europe despite not having the financial ability to regularly keep their best players.

Meanwhile, for Klopp this is close to a must win game given that the club has already given away the chance of silverware in the Carabao Cup and that the Champions of Europe have won the last six Club World Cups in succession. To do so, the Reds will need to improve defensively against Flamengo who will likely be more ruthless in exploiting any defensive weakness than Monterrey were on Wednesday.

Team News

Klopp is still shorn of most of his defensive options with Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Fabinho back on Merseyside and Virgil van Dijk still in doubt. The Dutchman trained on Friday alongside compatriot Georginio Wijnaldum who may also be fit to return though Klopp was non-committal when asked before the game.

Given the obvious pedigree of their opponents, expect the German to field as close to a full-strength eleven as possible, especially given that his fringe players struggled against Monterrey. While young Carabao Cup duo Ki-Jana Hoever, Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott have arrived in Qatar to bring the squad up to a full 23 players, none are expected to start against the Brazilian Champions.

On paper, Jesus has brought together an impressive collection of formerly household names at Flamengo and it clearly worked given the club’s impressive end to 2019. The likes of former Bayern Munich right-back Rafinha, Atletico Madrid’s Felipe Luis, former Valencia ‘keeper Diego Alves and former Juventus attacking midfielder Diego all offer plenty of European experience.

However, it is the likes of Gabriel Barbosa, a former wunderkind on loan from Inter Milan, Bruno Henrique and Rodrigo Caio who have been the true standouts for the Portuguese manager. The former has 43 goals in all competitions this season for the club, while Caio is the rock at the back who never left for Europe.

Prediction

This could be a really tight game with the Brazilian’s probably favourites if Virgil isn’t fit to start given the Reds’ defensive vulnerability against Monterrey. Flamengo’s attack has been prolific all season and has the pace and quality to exploit a Liverpool defence that pushes as high as it did on Wednesday night.

However, I expect that Virgil will return and restore a sense of solidity to Klopp’s rearguard that will prove a tougher proposition for Jesus entirely. One thing is for sure though, expect goals and while I’ll tip the Reds to get up 3-2, this could really go either way especially if Liverpool haven’t learnt their lessons from the semi-final.

Match Preview: Monterrey v Liverpool

Liverpool start their FIFA Club World Cup campaign on Wednesday night against 2019 CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey at the 40,000 capacity Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar. The Reds will be looking to take home the trophy for the first time having previously lost in the final to Sao Paulo in 2005 and will face another Brazilian side in Flamengo if they can get past their Mexican opponents.

Unlike the Reds, who will enter the competition at the semi-final stage, Monterrey had to face Al Sadd, representatives of the host nation Qatar, in a quarter-final on Saturday to tee-up the clash with Liverpool. The Mexican side squeaked through that encounter 3-2 in a match that contained some ridiculous goals and will look to shock the Reds on Wednesday.

Against Al Sadd, Antonio Mohamed’s side were content to hit the Qatari’s on the counter-attack and yielded 63% possession to former Atletico Madrid midfielder Gabi and his side. However, the Mexican side made their chances count and while the final score was tight, Monterrey were always in control of the tie.

Meanwhile, the pressure on the Reds to lift the Club World Cup lifted slightly overnight after a youthful Liverpool eleven crashed out of the Carabao Cup. Should Jurgen Klopp’s men fail to lift the trophy at the weekend, questions will be asked about the decision to throw away potential silverware, though bigger questions remain for the FA as to how the fixture congestion was allowed to get this bad.

Team News

Monterrey are missing two members of their usual starting eleven in Qatar, with former Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen and Colombian-born winger Aviles Hurtado ruled out through injury. Of those available to Mohamed, European football fans may remember Leonel Vangioni, briefly with AC Milan, and Miguel Layun, who spent time in England with Watford.

Mohamed usual sets his side out on a 4-2-3-1 with 28-year-old Argentine Rogelio Funes Mori likely to lead the line in the absence of Janssen. At the back, 33-year-old centre-back Nicolas Sanchez is crucial for his side while club captain Dorlan Pabon has been at the club since 2014, scoring 69 goals from the right wing during that time.

For the Reds, Fabinho, Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Nathaniel Clyne remain on the treatment table and have not travelled to Qatar while Georginio Wijnaldum is unavailable to face Monterrey but could feature in the next round. However, there is some news for the German with Virgil van Dijk fit to start after shaking off a niggle that saw him miss training on Monday.

With just 20 players to choose from in Qatar and a trophy on the line, expect Klopp to field close to a full strength eleven with a small amount of rotation to be expected given the travel. It will be intriguing to see whether Neco Williams and Curtis Jones feature having been travelled to Qatar rather than feature at Villa Park last night.

Prediction

The best thing about the Club World Cup is that Liverpool get to play some teams that they would never usually get to face in a competitive fixture, making it hard to predict what will happen. Monterrey are certainly no pushovers and based on the quality of their goals against Al Sadd they pose a threat from distance.

Having arrived last in Qatar, the Reds will likely also be the least well prepared side and I think we will see some cobwebs as Klopp’s men come to terms with the Doha heat. Having said that, the Reds really should have enough to make it through to the final and I’m going to predict they will do so by a scoreline of 3 to 1.