Premier League football returns this weekend for the 2020/2021 campaign, and its champions Liverpool who take on league newbies Leeds United in Saturday’s late kick-off.
Premier League 2020/2021 season
Date: Saturday, September 12th
Kick-off: 17:30
Venue: Anfield
Liverpool’s aspirations for the new season will come under the limelight when they begin the defence of their crown with a showdown against newly-promoted Leeds, and are well expected to show supremacy here.
With games versus Chelsea and Arsenal who bested them on penalties in the season’s curtain raiser that is the community shield following on from this one, the Reds surely, have not had the kindest of fixtures for a title defence, but a comfortable victory here would put them in good mood going forward.
You have to go back to April 2017 for the last time the usually rampant Reds lost a league game at home, so Jurgen Klopp will demand his side get off to a flyer yet.
For Leeds, they are back in the big time after a 16-year absence, so it is imperative they make an instant impact in their first game, and most importantly against a team like Liverpool if they are to be taken serious this time.
United have lost just once in their last 15 competitive games (v Cardiff) and Marcelo Bielsa will undoubtedly have sewn up plans on causing an upset in Merseyside.
That said, an opening day outing at a raucous Anfield against the defending champions would have proved too overwhelming for most promoted sides, as we have seen in years, but the paucity of fans could even out the odds.
Four years have passed since the two sides last met at this ground back in November 2016 in a League Cup tie when Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Divock Origi and Ben Woodburn.
Team news
Liverpool
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ruled out of the meeting with the Yorkshire giants following his knee injury in pre-season while summer recruit Konstantinos Tsimikas tested positive for the virus while away on international duty with Greece, so will miss out here.
Jordan Henderson is a major doubt, having failed to play a part during pre-season and the Community Shield game for the Reds.
Leeds
There are no missing players for Leeds on account of injury at the moment.
Head to Head
In 115 competitive meetings, Liverpool have recorded 58 wins to Leeds 27 victories. 30 meetings have been drawn.
Team form
Liverpool’s last five competitive games: LWWWD
Leeds last five competitive games: WWWWW
Betting tips
This will make for an interesting cracker this weekend, with Leeds out to make a statement after their Premier League return while Liverpool will seek to dominate yet. The Reds beat newly-promoted Norwich 4-1 here in last season’s opening fixture and went on to score ten times in their first three wins of the season at home, so this one suggest a large scoreline is on the cards.
Picking a solid one from the goals market, over 3.5 goals for 7/5 looks a great punt judging by the likelihood of goals flowing between two sides who would set up to entertain. Both Teams To Score at 19/20 is another good option thus.
Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino is 9/5 to score anytime on the goal-scorers market, and we would be snapping up the Brazilian here.
You can view all other betting markets for this game here
