Prediction: Swansea vs Liverpool



Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 3/4

Bookmaker: bet365

Swansea City sit dangerously close to the relegation zone after a five-match winless run and the game against high-flying Liverpool definitely comes at a bad time. The Reds have seriously raised their game of late and they arrive at Liberty Stadium in confident mood, searching for the fifth successive triumph on all fronts.

Swansea

Swansea City had established themselves as a genuine mid table side over the years and that is why many were surprised to see the Liberty Stadium outfit involved in the relegation tussle last term. Italian coach Francesco Guidolin ultimately managed to secure the Premier League survival, but his second season in England didn’t get off to a perfect start. Swansea City did beat Burnley on the road in their opening fixture, but have since taken just one point from five league games, and they now sit just one point above the bottom three. The difficult fixture list is now set to continue with games against in-form Liverpool and Arsenal, so it will take quite an effort for the Swans to end their winless run any time soon. Even though the media has showed no respect to manager Francesco Guidolin, the reality is that his side looked pretty good in the two games against relentless Manchester City, and they will definitely have something to build on when they face the Reds. There were few more positives to be taken from the second match against the Citizens as striker Fernando Llorente finally opened his account, with awakened Gylfi Sigurdsson providing the assist, and much will depend on whether the two stars can again link up well on Saturday.

Team News

There have been no fresh selection worries for manager Francesco Guidolin, meaning that Federico Fernandez and Nathan Dyer are the only unavailable footballers at the moment.

Leon Britton and Mike van der Hoorn are expected to keep their places in the side, while Neil Taylor could be recalled.



Liverpool

After not exactly impressing in his first season in charge, Jurgen Klopp had a lot to prove ahead of the 2016/2017 Premier League campaign that got off to a perfect start as his side defeated Arsenal on the road. The Reds failed to validate the Emirates triumph as they were beaten by newcomers Burnley, and the defeat certainly increased the pressure on the German manager. Nevertheless, the Reds quickly returned to winning ways, hammering Burton Albion in the EFL Cup, before coming very close to beating Tottenham at White Hart Lane. The two solid showings helped the team restore some of the lost confidence and they have been unstoppable since, recording league wins over Leicester, Chelsea and Hull City, while defeating Derby County in the League Cup. Having finally climbed to Champions League positions, the Reds will want to remain there as long as possible, and the game against out-of-sorts Swansea will feel as a good opportunity to cement their place in the top 4. Liverpool have been scoring goals for fun of late, bagging 14 in last 4 outings, and we fully expect the trend to continue at Liberty Stadium.

Team News

After picking up an injury in training Divock Origi is set to miss out, with Sheyi Ojo and Joe Gomez also in the treatment room.

Mamadou Sakho has reportedly recovered from injury and he featured for the Under-23 side, but he is unlikely to be included.

Key Factors to Consider

• Swansea recorded 3-1 triumph in the same fixture last term
• Liverpool won the five meetings prior to said game
• Four or more goals were scored in five of their last eight meetings
• Swansea have four defeats in last five matches
• Liverpool won four straight fixtures

Conclusion

Even if Swansea have been in dire straights of late and Liverpool are on fire, we seriously doubt the Reds will enjoy an easy win at Liberty Stadium. Francesco Guidolin’s side have been showing signs of improvement and we believe that backing both teams to score is a safer bet her considering the amount of goals their past meetings have produced.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 3/4

Bookmaker: bet365