New Year’s Eve Preview – Liverpool vs Manchester City

December 31, 2016 17:30pm

Anfield Stadium

Recent Form (League):

Liverpool: WWWDL

Manchester City: WWWLL

In what promises to be the most entertaining fixture of the weekend’s schedule, free-scoring Liverpool will seek to maintain the pace in the title race when they welcome fellow title candidates Manchester City to Anfield for this New Year’s Eve showdown.

With Chelsea in such strong form, the Merseyside team need to keep on winning just to hang on to the coat tails of the team from London. Jurgen Klopp’s men are currently six points off the pace, despite have been beaten just once in their last 16 Premier League games. It is also 16 games since they lost on home soil, with their last defeat coming at the hands of Manchester United just under a year ago.

Last time out, the Reds stormed to a 4-1 win at home to Stoke City to continue a successful festive season that began with a 1-0 triumph away to Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Klopp’s charges have scored more goals than any other team at home this term (25) despite having played less matches due to the delayed opening of their new Main Stand. However, they continue to struggle with injuries and will have to make do without Joel Matip, Philippe Countinho, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and Sheyi Ojo for this clash, while Marko Grujic has a tendon issue and is also a doubt.

Opponents Manchester City could go second with a win on Saturday, while defeat could see them overtaken by both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Coach Pep Guardiola has now guided his team to three-straight wins after a recent wobble prompted the inevitable debate about his credentials as a Premier League boss.

The Citizens will be looking for their eighth away win of the season when they take to the field on Saturday and will be hoping to add to their league-best tally of 22 away goals.

Ilkay Gundogan and Vincent Kompany are both still injured and will not take part, while John Stones could feature if he recovers from a knee problem in time.

Prediction

Everything points to a high goal count in this game, and while City will be competitive, you have to fancy Liverpool to prevail in what should be an open and free-flowing contest.

You can back Liverpool/Over 2.5 Goals at 11/5 with Betfair.