Liverpool need back-to-back wins to ensure top spot on Christmas Day

Liverpool needed a last-ditch Allison Becker save see off Napoli and book their passage to the knockout phase of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League. The Reds missed a catalogue of chances on the night and if they had failed to progress, it would have been somewhat unjust, such was their superiority on the night. 

They can now focus on domestic matters for the foreseeable future and victories over Manchester United on Sunday and Wolves next Friday would ensure that they are sitting at the top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day.

Our GW17 goal projections highlight the current gulf in class between the Reds and arch-rivals’ Manchester United, with the Anfield outfit boasting more than a 1 goal supremacy based on the latest betting lines.

However, matches between the two sides tend to be fiercely fought and the form book can often been thrown out of the window.

Liverpool have failed to beat the Red Devils in each of their last 8 Premier League encounters with the Manchester side having come out on top in 5 of these.

Both managers will have to deal with their own defensive injuries crisis’ and it would be something of a surprise if this fixture was to finish in a goal-less stalemate for the third successive season.

United’s struggles have been well-documented this season but if they were to pull off a shock victory on Sunday, you can bet that José Mourinho will be milking the occasion to the limit making it all about him, so don’t rule out a Jürgen Klopp style pitch invasion!