English Premier
2012-04-28 - Norwich City vs Liverpool
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 28 April 2012 - Kick Off 5:30pm
This game is live on TV
Norwich City
It has been an already successful season for Norwich City, but they won't want to end it with the negative results they have had in the last couple of weeks. Momentum for next season can still be won or lost at this late stage of this season and that is something Paul Lambert will be preaching to his side. However, they shouldn't need much motivation to face one of the big names in English football, Liverpool.
Norwich are 13th in the Premier League table but they are only 3 points behind Liverpool and will also want to finish above Swansea to end the season as the top side from the three that were promoted last season. They have a 6-6-5 record at Carrow Road this season, scoring 26 goals and conceding 27.
It was a lacklustre performance that led to the Canaries losing 2-0 at Blackburn Rovers last week, just one week after being humbled 1-6 here by Manchester City. Norwich have won just 1 of their last 5 League games, although that was an impressive 1-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur. Norwich have also won just 1 of their last 5 home games in the Premier League, although only the two Manchester clubs have won at Carrow Road in the last 7 League games here.
Paul Lambert has a few issues in defence to deal with as Zak Whitbread, Marc Tierney and Daniel Ayala are all missing.
Liverpool
Another game at Anfield and another set of points dropped from Liverpool last weekend in what has been a disappointing League season all around. They really were hoping to finish in the Champions League places, but are now in danger of ending the year below local rivals Everton. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the fact they can win their second Cup competition in the FA Cup next week.
Liverpool are 8th in the Premier League table, 2 points behind Everton in the table, but they can at least rely on the fact that they have won more games away from home than they have at Anfield. They are 7-1-9 on their travels this season, scoring 20 goals and conceding 23.
The Reds have really struggled in the League in this calender year, and they have won just 2 of their last 11 games in the League since the end of January. Liverpool won 2-3 at Blackburn Rovers in their last away game, despite having ten men for a large part of that game, but they had lost 4 consecutive away games before that and 6 of their last 7.
Steven Gerrard may return to the side having been rested last weekend, but Charlie Adam has been ruled out for the rest of the season. It will be interesting to see how many changes are made to the line up considering they are playing Chelsea next Saturday in the Cup.
Head to Head
Liverpool and Norwich City drew 1-1 at Anfield earlier this season, and this will be the first meeting at Carrow Road since the 2004/05 season.
Liverpool won on their last visit here 1-2 which means they have won two in a row at Carrow Road.
Prediction
Norwich City should definitely be the more motivated of the sides to try and pick up a really big scalp before the season ends, while the Liverpool players may be a little more concerned with not picking up any injuries ahead of the FA Cup Final next week.
Liverpool have also been so hit and miss this season, performing well in the Cup games but really struggling in the League. They continue to create chances in games, but they just can't seem to get over the hurdle and score the goals that will win them games.
With the Cup Final on the horizon, I think the layers are really taking a chance on offering 4.33 that Norwich win this game. There are concerns with the way they have defended in recent games, particularly the game against Manchester City, but they also looked threatening going forward in that game.
The Canaries do score goals and I can just see a situation where they pick up the three points against a changed Liverpool side that are trying to keep legs as fresh as possible for the Cup Final.
I expect the home side will be more motivated than Liverpool, who really have very little to play for, and the 4.33 looks very big here.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Norwich City 2-1 Liverpool
