Prediction: Liverpool vs Huddersfield

Verdict: Liverpool win to nil and over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365

With the chance to briefly reclaim their spot at the top of the table, Liverpool will host an already relegated Huddersfield at Anfield on Friday night.

Liverpool

Starting with the hosts, after watching Manchester City pick up a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in midweek, Jurgen Klopp will know that his side must make a statement on Friday night. With the chance to ever so briefly reclaim top spot in the Premier League, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has seen his side continue to shine at the end of the season. With a Champions League semi-final showdown with Barcelona to look forward to later this month, a huge part of the Reds’ success this year has come down to their continued performances at Anfield. Liverpool are the only side yet to lose a top-flight matchup on Merseyside and have won their last five league matches on home soil, scoring two or more goals in each of those victories. Along with the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah spearheading a potential double-winning season, Klopp will be excited by his sides form at the other end of the pitch. Holding the best defensive record in the Premier League, Friday’s hosts have also conceded just a single goal in over 400 minutes of action across all competitions.

Team News

Liverpool midfielders Fabinho and Adam Lallana face fitness tests ahead of Friday’s match against Huddersfield.

Fabinho sustained a head injury during Sunday’s win at Cardiff, while Lallana has been out for five weeks with a muscle issue.

Huddersfield

As for the visitors, enduring a horrific second season in the top-flight, Huddersfield have already booked their spot in the Championship for next year. Still sat nine points adrift at the foot of the table and breaking all sorts of unwanted records this campaign, the Terriers have continued to struggle since the appointment of Jan Siewert earlier in the year. Coming off the back of a 2-1 loss at home to Watford last weekend, Huddersfield have lost their last seven matches on the bounce and have picked up just a single victory since the 25th of November. Unsurprisingly, it will be the Terriers’ continued defensive issues giving Siewert the biggest headache. The German tactician has seen his side conceded two or more goals in each of their past six outings and their form outside of West Yorkshire has been hugely worrying all season. Huddersfield have lost their last six Premier League matches away from the John Smith’s Stadium and have shipped a staggering 18 goals on that losing run.

Team News

Central defender Dejan Lovren is expected to be available after illness.

Huddersfield’s Adama Diakhaby is in contention after a hamstring injury but Aaron Mooy is a doubt and Laurent Depoitre remains out.

Key Factors to Consider

• Liverpool are unbeaten in 13 meetings since a 1-0 defeat 60 years ago (W10, D3).
• Huddersfield have gone eight games without scoring against Liverpool. Their most recent goal came in a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the Second Division in April 1962.
• Liverpool could win 10 consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since a run of 11 in a row under Rafael Benítez from March to May 2006.
• Huddersfield Town have earned just four points from the past 22 league fixtures.
• They could equal the club record of eight consecutive league defeats, set from December 2018 to January 2019.

Conclusion

On paper, Jurgen Klopp should see this as a golden opportunity to once again leapfrog Manchester City. Given the overwhelming gulf in class between the two sides, we’re backing the title challengers to come away with another routine victory at Anfield on Friday night.

Verdict: Liverpool win to nil and over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365