Liverpool v West Brom: Impossible to oppose in-form hosts at Anfield

 

Brendan Rodgers has Liverpool ticking along nicely while Steve Clarke's team have gone very cold and it's impossible to argue a case for the visitors in Monday night's live game, says Joe Dyer

 

Liverpool v West Brom

Monday, KO 20:00, Live on Sky Sports 1

However unlikely Liverpool's top four aspirations are, while it's still mathematically possible to finish in the Champions League places Brendan Rodgers' team will keep pushing all the way.

 

And in their current form there will be few punters willing to back against them when the Anfield club play host to West Brom on Monday night. Successive 2-2 draws against Manchester City and Arsenal followed a 5-0 hammering of Norwich and, though their 10-game form shows the odd defeat, the feeling is that the Reds are coming to the boil nicely as the season gets serious.

 

You cannot say that about West Brom who have lost five of their last six league games, frittering away a bright start and seemingly on an unstoppable path to a mid-table finish. That said, the visitors were bright and energetic against Tottenham until Goran Popov was sent off for spitting at Kyle Walker. And there's a further crumb of comfort in the Baggies' good recent record against Liverpool, with three wins in the last four matches.

 

But results don't lie and few are on as bad a run as WBA, who have one point from 2013's efforts in the league.

 

It's no surprise then to see Liverpool trading at just 1.39 for the win with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge (who is a slight injury doubt) forming a strong partnership upfront and Steven Gerrard running the midfield at his buccaneering best. West Brom go off at 10.0 with the draw priced at 5.4.

 

That win price is a bit on the short side for most punters though and, presuming we're happy to back the home side, the temptation is to play bigger odds in other markets. Opta tell us that Liverpool have kept clean sheets in five of the last six league matches and they are surely capable of repeating on Monday night. Let's double up then and back a home win with a clean sheet at 2.5 or bigger.

 

A Europa League meeting with Zenit St Petersburg awaits Liverpool and while we'd normally be concerned that Rodgers would field a weakened team but the feeling is that a strong domestic finish is the priority at Anfield.

 

That should mean another 90 Premier League minutes for captain Gerrard and he is a tempting bet to score at 3.0 or above. The England man has adopted a more attacking role in recent games with five in the last nine matches including a scorcher last time out at City. With 13 matches remaining, Gerrard seems likely to break 10 goals for the season - a feat last achieved in 2008/09.

 

Wins for Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal on Saturday have left the Reds some way off their cherished top-four finish but there's little reason to see their charge stopping now. The Baggies bring the worst January form in the league and the Reds must capitalise if they are going to reach the highs Rodgers demands.

 

Recommended Bets

Back Liverpool win to nil @ 2.5 or above

Back Steven Gerrard to score @ 3.0 or above

 

Bet HERE

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