English Premier
2020-01-02 - Liverpool vs Sheffield United
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Thursday 2nd January 2019 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Liverpool
Premier League weeks don't seem to pass without some VAR controversy and it was the same at Anfield this past Sunday with a couple of decisions going the way of Liverpool. The Premier League leaders won't be bothered by the criticisms of the decisions as they keep the unstoppable roll towards a first title since 1990, but Jurgen Klopp will be demanding no slips.
They go into this round of fixtures with a 13 point lead over Leicester City and 14 point lead over Manchester City while also having a game in hand to play, but those gaps are likely to be closer at kick off. The Reds have a perfect 10-0-0 record at Anfield in the League where they have scored 27 goals and conceded 9.
Liverpool rounded out December with back to back Premier League wins and they have plenty of momentum to take into the 2020 calendar year. They have now won 4 in a row at Anfield and Liverpool have kept back to back clean sheets which is going to make it even more difficult to earn a result against them.
There look to be no new injury concerns for Liverpool to deal with.
Sheffield United
It wasn't just at Anfield where a marginal offside goal affected the game on Sunday as Sheffield United were denied a chance to lead at Manchester City in the eventual 2-0 defeat. For large periods of the game Chris Wilder's men gave as good as they got and the manager will be a little disappointed that Sheffield United could not maintain their unbeaten run away from home.
Other results dropped Sheffield United down to 8th in the Premier League table, but this has been as good a 2019 as the fans would have imagined and with plenty of momentum to take into a new calendar year. The Blades have a 2-6-1 record away from home in the Premier League this season.
Sheffield United had lost 1 of their previous 12 games before the defeat at the Etihad Stadium. That loss was actually only the second one Sheffield United have had away from home in the whole of 2019 and the first since mid-January.
John Lundstram has become a Fantasy Football darling, but he was absent last Sunday and will be a doubt for this one too.
Head to Head
A Dean Henderson mistake saw Sheffield United lose 0-1 to Liverpool earlier this season.
Liverpool have won their last 2 home games against The Blades, but these teams meet here for the first time since the 2006/07 season.
Prediction
There are likely going to be some big changes with the way Football is officiated at the end of this season, but for now Liverpool fans won't care about how they win the League and what others may say about it. All that matters to them is that they win a first English title since 1990 and it will take a monumental to collapse to prevent that happening.
A 1-0 win over Wolves on Sunday came with some pressure on their shoulders, but Liverpool keep showing they have enough to win games they perhaps don't always deserve to. That is not a negative, it is a compliment to a team looking to be Champions and I do think Liverpool will do enough to edge Sheffield United here.
Chris Wilder's team will give it a go as they have against every team they have faced this season and they did enough to at least score at Manchester City on Sunday. Ultimately Sheffield United have perhaps missed having a clinical striker in the final third who can take the chances they have been creating, but this is a team who won't be afraid to take it to their hosts.
Defensively there can be opportunities for teams so it would be a major surprise if Liverpool were not to score, but I think Sheffield United will also have the chances to find the back of the net.
It does look a massive price to see both teams scoring in this one and I think that is the play for me here.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United
