Liverpool were held to a draw by Chelsea at the weekend and that left them 14 points behind league leaders Manchester City. Dreams of a first Premier League title look almost certainly over so they have to battle for a top four place to earn another season in the Champions League.
After the weekend’s games, Liverpool are sixth in the table, just two points behind Arsenal in that all-important fourth place. They face away games at Stoke City and Brighton and Hove Albion this week and somehow Jurgen Klopp has to select a team that can stop the flow of away goals that they have been consistently conceding on their travels this season.
Strangely, it’s Liverpool and Everton that hold the joint worse record when it comes to conceding away goals in the Premier League this season. Everton, with all their problems, is a bit understandable but Liverpool is a different story. They have only conceded two goals at home in the Premier League but conceded 16 on their travels.
Their last three away league and cup games have seen them concede eight goals, though only one of them ended in defeat. Ten of their last 11 away league and cup games have seen Liverpool concede with only Maribor unable to get past their leaky defence.
Six away league games have produced eight points, but they need more than that if wanting to get that top four place. Only two of their last 11 away league games have ended in defeat and a trip to struggling Stoke City is an ideal opportunity to grab three points.
Stoke City gave away a lead on Saturday to lose 2-1 to bottom of the table Crystal Palace. That leaves them 15th in the table only three points above the bottom three. They could start this game a place lower if West Brom can get three points against Newcastle on Tuesday evening.
Consistency is the big problem at Stoke in this calendar year. Not since January have they been able to win two straight league games. They go into this match against Liverpool on a run of three league matches without a victory. The only consistency they seem to have at present is conceding goals and giving away important leads. It’s not just at Palace they did that but at Brighton and Hove Albion last Monday.
Conceding goals is a big problem at present having conceded at least twice in nine of their last 11 league and cup games. That’s hardly the form you need when the likes of Mohamed Salah, Philip Coutinho and Roberto Firmino come to town.
Home form this season has produced two wins, two draws and two defeats. They did beat Arsenal and drew with Manchester United but lost to Bournemouth and Chelsea. Liverpool will have to keep an eye out for Shaqiri who is in form at present with two goals in his last three league games. A key decision for Stoke will be whether to give their top scorer Peter Crouch a start against his former club.
Conclusion
Both these sides have defensive worries that are hindering their progress in the Premier League. Liverpool have scored 25 league goals this season, a feat only bettered by the two Manchester clubs. But it’s the goals they have been conceding on their travels that is causing major problems, especially as they only conceded 24 away goals last season. Their attack has fantastic pace and Salah just can’t stop scoring at present. Stoke face a relegation battle this season and face a vital home game against fellow strugglers Swansea City at the weekend. They have much more chance of winning that one considering their defensive frailties, and this is a game that Liverpool can take three points from.
The Key Stats
Last Five Premier League Results – Most recent first
Stoke City – LDDWL
Liverpool – DWWWL
Head to Head – Last Five League Meetings
08/04/17 – Stoke City 1 Liverpool 2
27/02/16 – Liverpool 4 Stoke City 1
10/04/16 – Liverpool 4 Stoke City 1
09/08/15 – Stoke City 0 Liverpool 1
24/05/15 – Stoke City 6 Liverpool 1
- Liverpool have scored in their last eight league and cup games.
- Liverpool have conceded in ten of their last 11 league and cup matches.
- Three of the last four Liverpool league and cup games have seen both teams score.
- Mohamed Salah has scored in four of the last five Liverpool games.
- The last six Liverpool league and cup games have seen nine different players score for them.
- Only Everton and Crystal Palace have conceded more home league goals than Stoke City.
- Stoke City have conceded at least twice in nine of their last 11 league and cup games.
- Nine of the last ten Stoke City games have had over 2.5 goals scored in them.