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Wirtz is expected to continue to shine. |
Two teams currently enjoying impressive unbeaten streaks will face each other in the early days of the new year. This is seen as an opportunity for both to start 2026 in the most positive way possible, given that each team has very different goals.
Liverpool appear to have overcome their worrying slump. Arne Slot's side ended 2025 with three consecutive Premier League wins and four consecutive wins across all competitions, reaffirming their status as a contender for a Champions League spot.
However, as the reigning champions, simply aiming for a top-four finish is still considered insufficient to meet expectations at Anfield. History is on "The Kop's" side, as they are unbeaten in their last nine home games of the new year (six wins, three draws).
Conversely, Leeds United travel to Merseyside in relatively relaxed spirits after a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League (two wins, three draws), most recently a 1-1 draw against Sunderland. The gap with the relegation zone has widened, but manager Daniel Farke understands that the threat of relegation is not entirely gone.
Poor results in matches on New Year's Day (only 1 win in the last 6) coupled with weak away form means "The Whites" are unlikely to avoid being the underdog at Anfield.
On the Liverpool side, Florian Wirtz finally relieved the pressure with his first goal for the club in the match against Wolves. On the other side, the visitors' striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, is in top form, having scored in six consecutive matches, with all three of his career goals against Liverpool coming after halftime.
Good news for manager Arne Slot is that Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai are ready to return to the squad, significantly improving the depth of the home team's lineup.
For Leeds, the biggest concern lies in their defense, with Joe Rodon likely to miss the injury he sustained in the draw against Sunderland. This absence could significantly impact the visitors' ability to withstand the intense pressure from Liverpool's attack at Anfield.
Source: https://znews.vn/truc-iep-liverpool-vs-leeds-post1615303.html
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