Liverpool vs. Sheffield United: New year, same outcome expected with hosts ‘set to dominate’

Sheffield United head to Liverpool on Thursday (20:00 GMT) having lost their first away league match of the season at Manchester City at the weekend.

The Blades had become the first ever side promoted into the Premier League to remain unbeaten in their first nine away games, but that run always looked set to come to an end with back-to-back visits to the two best sides in the country.

Liverpool are simply relentless this season, having amassed an astonishing 55 points from 19 league games to secure a surely insurmountable 13-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand.

Unsurprisingly, the bookmakers have made them heavy favourites to win their first match of the New Year against Chris Wilder’s side.

The Reds are 1/4 to make it 11 league wins in a row.

The draw is 19/4, with a Sheffield United win a huge 12/1.

It was tight between the two sides at Bramall Lane, with a fortuitous Georginio Wijnaldum goal enough to secure three points for Liverpool after a rare Dean Henderson mistake in Sheffield United’s goal.

Liverpool’s front three misfired on that day but that is not usually the case. Mohamed Salah is 21/20 to score anytime here, with Sadio Mané 6/5 and Roberto Firmino 13/8.

For the visitors, Lys Mousset’s pace is a threat in behind any defence and he was unfortunate to have a goal disallowed for offside at the Etihad. Should he start, which is no guarantee as Wilder often rotates his strikers during heavier fixture periods, 7/2 on the French forward to score anytime appeals despite Liverpool’s recent improvement in defence.

With Liverpool only scraping past Wolves, who like Sheffield United are a well-drilled counter-attacking unit deploying five at the back, evens on a +2 handicap for the visitors doesn’t look a bad price either with another tough game in store for the hosts.