Stoke City V Liverpool

Saturday, 16^th January – 12:45 GMT (Sky Sports 1)

Stoke City

League Position: 10th

Recent Form: DLLLW

The Potters frustrated the Reds’ when the pair last and only Premiership clash at The Brittania last season, with Stoke holding out for a more than deserved 0-0 draw. But, however, with Stoke getting smashed off the park at Anfield earlier in the season, losing 4-0, is the tide slowly turning against them as opposing managers finally begin to realise how predictable a team Stoke are becoming, or will Tony Pulis’ attempt at playing pretty, on the floor football finally pay off for good against a travelling Liverpool this Saturday?

Stoke’s first season in the Premiership seen them play in a one dimensional fashion in that they focused completely on their main asset which was height. The plan was to earn a set-play from any which way possible in order to get the big guys forward. This paid dividends whether it was from a Matthew Etherington corner or a Rory Delap throw-in, so it was no surprise that Stoke maintained this ‘rustle & bustle’ approach throughout the course of the season as it kept them in the division. However, being the wise old codger Pulis is he is now trying to convert Stoke into a more attractive outfit which, against a team like Liverpool who could potentially play them into the ground, could be a catastrophic tactic.

We personally feel Tony Pulis will opt for a bit of both this Saturday, using Etherington down the flank to whip in some glorious crosses whilst also looking for corners. However, although Etherington does have the potential to be a thorn in Liverpool’s right-hand side this Saturday, there aren’t too many others who would cause the Reds’ too many problems in terms of beating an opponent with pace and skill, so perhaps the route 1 method they were so renowned for last season should be the chosen style of play instead.

Stoke, to the credit of the manager, have quickly become a very solid outfit and a team many hate facing at The Brittania. They work their socks off in front of a capacity support, they don’t give you any time nor space and are far more intimidating in their own back yard. However, despite being a tricky customer for all of the top four this season, Stoke have been beaten in each of their two clashes with ‘Big Four’ opponents this season; losing 2-1 to Chelsea via a 95^th Malouda strike while suffering a 2-0 defeat against Man Utd. Perhaps the Potter’s luck is finally wearing thin…?

Liverpool

League Position: 7th

Recent Form: LWLWW

It’s a fragile Liverpool that travels down to Stoke on Saturday off the back of a morale bashing defeat in the Cup in midweek. The Reds’, of whom have already had to wave goodbye to Champions League football and are 12 points off the pace in the league, swiftly exited the FA Cup on Wednesday night in what was their last chance at some real silverware. However, the problem for them now is that the club are struggling with large sums of debt and finishing outside the top four is unthinkable, but with Liverpool four points adrift of the top four they will now know that any more slip ups could be costly as their abysmal season becomes centred solely around just finishing above 16 other teams.

After Liverpool’s demise in the FA Cup, to what is a Reading side struggling in the Championship, one can only assume that the Liverpool camp is at it’s lowest right now in terms of morale and spirit. That was the clubs last chance at some creditable silverware as their only real adventure now lies in the Europa League, a second tier competition for European competitors. That’s not good enough for a club of Liverpool’s stature, nowhere near, and questions are finally being asked by the Liverpool fans themselves about whether Rafael Benitez is the right man for the job and all this speculation will only hinder the confidence of the players and their concentration levels ahead of some big games in the league.

As far as this game goes, Liverpool will have a real fight on their hands for any share of the points, especially now that Stoke will take great pleasure in their recent disappointment. The Reds’ had to battle hard just to earn a draw on their last visit to The Brittania but, after a dire week of football, a draw might be the best they can hope for in this contest, although the fans will now be expecting nothing less than a win. However, the fans hopes of seeing a Liverpool win will look even slimmer after hearing that their side has won just two of it’s last seven away games.

Since the start of October, a 2-0 win at Goodison against Everton & a fortunate 1-0 victory at Aston Villa are Liverpool’s only away wins in seven outings. The latter result, though, was actually their last outing in the league but it did come several days before the new year, over three weeks ago, so that win won’t be as fresh in the memory as perhaps Rafael Benitez would of liked as the players certainly need some inspiration right now. They’ve won just four away games all season after ten away ventures and the fact that they’ve suffered five of their seven defeats away from Anfield just reiterates how vulnerable Liverpool are when on the road this season.

However, the most concerning thing about this Liverpool side is they are so dull, boring and damn well predictable. All of their football goes down the centre of the park, with width a thing of the past. They also look a team which can easily be bullied and against one of the more physically demanding teams in Stoke City, Liverpool really could come a cropper, once again. They don’t have any bulky players, there is a distinct lack of height and their marking from set-pieces is often non-existent – which is a huge negative against one of the best teams from set-pieces in the land. Pepe Reina was absent in Liverpool’s pathetic cup exit on Wednesday with a small injury but I pray, for the Liverpool fans at least, that he returns else this could be another horror show.

Head-to-Head:

Stoke City W: 0 Liverpool W: 1 Draws: 2

• Liverpool won the last encounter between the two in emphatic style, smashing Stoke 4-0 at Anfield.

•  Liverpool’s only victory against Stoke City came at Anfield.

• Stoke, after three attempts, has yet to score a goal against Liverpool, failing twice at Anfield and once at The Brittania.

Match Verdict: Draw – 3.50 BetFred

At a tough of odds-on, we couldn’t touch Liverpool with a complimentary free bet. Their displays, not only on Wednesday but throughout the season, have been outstandingly bad and their spirit in that Liverpool dressing room will be at its lowest for time. To add to their woes, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Pepe Reina could all miss the trip through injuries. Stoke, however, will be brimming with confidence as they won’t get a better opportunity to beat another of the so called ‘Big Four’ then this visit of Liverpool and we expect the Potters to make a bright start. This game will be decided on set-pieces though – How well Stoke attack from set-plays and how poorly Liverpool defend them. The danger for Stoke is that Liverpool, regardless of their lull in confidence, can still pack a punch when going forward so they mustn’t get too carried away when committing men forward.

Match Odds:

Stoke City – 5.00 BetFred

Draw – 3.50 BetFred

Liverpool – 1.91 Bet365

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Both teams to score – 2.00 WilliamHill