Liverpool vs Stoke City, 17:15, Sky Sports 1

5starpool

Liverpool will be hoping for a routine victory (or any type of win really) given their rivals all won yesterday. Stoke have pulled clear of the drop zone but would welcome the points too and can draw level with Southampton with a win.

Liverpool will want to keep their improved form going after 2 away wins in a row and hopefully make up some ground on Chelsea to move into second again.

I'll go for a fairly straightforward 3-1 home win.

Harry Palmr

So many ex reds at Stoke, one of them is bound to score. Hopefully Matip makes the bench at the very least.

Damien360

Harry Palmr wrote: »

So many ex reds at Stoke, one of them is bound to score. Hopefully Matip makes the bench at the very least.

Joe Allen is going to score. 1-1 draw. Stoke should have beaten Leicester and are usually good for a fight to the end.

OwaynOTT

Can't see anything but a win. Liverpool always win when I'm dying and I'm dying with a flu.

5starpool

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Can't see anything but a win. Liverpool always win when I'm dying and I'm dying with a flu.

Well if that's the case, I hope you don't recover until May or so.

OwaynOTT

5starpool wrote: »

Well if that's the case, I hope you don't recover until May or so.

I was made permanent last Tuesday, so expect a lot of sick days when they're playing.

To be honest, I just hope this makes more sense to me that that city game yesterday. They kept running it out for goal kicks and celebrated when they did.

Harry Palmr

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Can't see anything but a win. Liverpool always win when I'm dying and I'm dying with a flu.

As someone who is still getting over his bout of the dreaded lurgy you have my sympathy!

OwaynOTT

Harry Palmr wrote: »

As someone who is still getting over his bout of the dreaded lurgy you have my sympathy!

Tis great craic altogether. I'll probably recover just in time for going back to work.

RayCon

5starpool wrote: »

Well if that's the case, I hope you don't recover until May or so.

Harsh but fair.

Matip not playing would be a big worry. Klavan & Lovren will be OK ish though hopefully.

One_Of_Shanks

Augeo wrote: »

Mario not playing would be a big worry. Klavan & Lovren will be OK ish though hopefully.

If Klavan plays like he did against the Bitters then there's no problem at all.

Ideally Matip would be there though yeah but I was mighty impressed with Klavan last week so hopefully will be fine.

We should win this really. Famous last words though

Red Kev

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Liverpool have won five of the last six Premier League meetings with Stoke, including beating the Potters 4-1 in this fixture last season.
• But Stoke's only victory in that time was a 6-1 thrashing of the Reds in Steven Gerrard's final Liverpool game.
• Stoke also won 1-0 at Anfield in the League Cup semi-final (second leg) last January, although they went on to lose the tie on penalties.

Liverpool

• Liverpool have lost just one of their last 15 Premier League matches (W10, D4).
• The Reds are unbeaten at home in 15 Premier League home games (W9, D6) - the longest current unbeaten home run in the top flight.
• Liverpool have not conceded in their last two Premier League matches. They haven't kept three PL clean sheets in a row under Jurgen Klopp.
• Sadio Mane has had a hand in eight goals in his last nine Premier League appearances (five goals, three assists).

Stoke City

• Stoke are without a win in three Premier League games (D2, L1).
• But they have won five of their last 10 league games - only Chelsea and Liverpool have won more over that period in the top flight.
• Mark Hughes has never won a Premier League game as a manager at Anfield (D4, L6). He also suffered his heaviest PL defeat as a player there, losing 7-1 with Southampton in January 1999.
• Joe Allen has scored five goals in 16 Premier League appearances for Stoke City this season - one more than in his 91 PL games for Liverpool.
• Stoke need two more goals to make it 3,000 in the top flight.

SAM's verdict

• Most probable score: 2-0
• Probability of draw: 18%
• Probability of home win: 71%
• Probability of away win: 11%

SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.

One_Of_Shanks

Red Kev wrote: »

SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.

Thank God you put that bit in. I was a second away from hanging myself by asking why Allardyce is so interested in our match

I haven't been right since the Xmas day Irish coffees

5starpool

Stoke are the last team other than Liverpool to win at Anfield.

BorneTobyWilde

I think if we go out there and play our own games and concentrate on our results that come the end of the season we will have played as many league games as everyone else.

Damien360

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

I think if we go out there and play our own games and concentrate on our results that come the end of the season we will have played as many league games as everyone else.

Is that you Micheal Owen ?

(Taken from humour thread)

Red Kev

5starpool wrote: »

Stoke are the last team other than Liverpool to win at Anfield.

That was 1-0 in the League Cup back in January, we still won that on penalties.

Last defeat in the League was against Man U on Jan 17th.

The Welsh Pirlo to win it for Stoke, I hope :P

TitianGerm

M!Ck^ wrote: »

The Welsh Pirlo to win it for Stoke, I hope :P

You've cursed him now. Chap is going to have a shocker

BorneTobyWilde

Would like to see Sturridge start in middle, won't happen though.

5starpool

Same lineup as against Everton.

One_Of_Shanks

That will do. Good selection, Mon Reds! My 2-day hangover needs a lift

bur

That Stoke line-up...teams are petrified of this Liverpool team. Nice problem to have to solve i guess.

Harry Palmr

Guardiola in a flat cap was a sight! I'll assume he keeps a pigeon in one pocket.

Osmosis Jones

What a ball from Mané, think Firmino could've got there but expected the defender to stop it.

Berserker

M!Ck^ wrote: »

The Welsh Pirlo to win it for Stoke, I hope :P

Hard to see anything other than a Liverpool win here. If they get an early goal, they'll win it 3-0 or 4-0.

BorneTobyWilde

ON a scale from 1-10 there is 6 mins gone.

Charlie19

Some quality on Stokes bench...

Ibrahim Afellay, Bojan Krkic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Wilfried Bony and Shay Given

RobertKK

Last night no sound on BBC1 HD for MOTD.
Today it sounds like a helicopter is flying around in the voicebox of martin Tyler as he does commentary on the UHD channel.
Now fixed.

Osmosis Jones

I hate when a team has sustained possession, they're letting the opposition chase them down and trying make gaps, and then the centre back just gets impatient and hoofs it up to nobody.

sword1

Firmino going to take alot of shots the way he is shaping

BorneTobyWilde

A lot of
'' I wonder what he will do with ball ' on edge of box.
We need movement and a option for guy on ball, not to wonder what he will do, make his mind up for him and make a movement to open space or to receive ball

Osmosis Jones

It's Stoke, don't fcuking let them have their crosses.

Weak hands too from Mig.

Harry Palmr

Stoked

livinginkorea

Christ!

Berserker

Well, some work for Liverpool to do here. Not sure about the keeper on that one.

RobertKK

Nice goal for the Irish player.

SlickRic

Yeah, Mig is shít. I think we'd forgotten.

Vicxas

Piss poor save.

Charlie19

Charlie19 wrote: »

Some quality on Stokes bench...

... Wilfried Bony....

Couldn't see that 12/18 months ago.

Balls to the goal.

Lovren was brutal for that, Mig not great

niallo27

New keeper please.

Charlie19

Should be saving the likes of that.

ctrl-alt-delete

Berserker wrote: »

Well, some work for Liverpool to do here. Not sure about the keeper on that one.

Might have considering he got a hand to it.

What was Mane(I think) at though, no attempt at closing down the cross.

Johner

And that's why Liverpool have no chance of winning the league.

Berserker

RobertKK wrote: »

Nice goal for the Irish player.

Good cross and header. Liverpool should have expected that when they saw the Stoke team sheet though. They need to roll up their sleeves and dig out a win here. That's what champions do.

GiftofGab

More pressure needed by lovern, Mig needed stronger hand to that.

Harry Palmr

Lovren did see him coming as well.

niallo27

Johner wrote: »

And that's why Liverpool have no chance of winning the league.

All the top teams have top keepers. You can't carry that ****e.

Unearthly

Martin Tyler confused me by saying it was offside

noodler

Mane and Clyne highly suspect as well.

BorneTobyWilde

Got full hand to hit, Martin Tyler '' what a good save, o no it's not a save''
Very poor goal keeping.