Liverpool’s first sport of 2026 comes at residence to Leeds on New 12 months’s Day, with each side unbeaten in a minimum of their final 5 matches.
Liverpool vs. Leeds
Premier League (19) | AnfieldJanuary 1, 5.30pm (GMT)
The Reds ended 2025 with a 2-1 win towards Wolves at Anfield, placing them fourth within the Premier League desk.
Subsequent up is the New 12 months’s Day go to of Leeds, which needs to be seen as one other good likelihood of three factors for Liverpool.
Right here’s all it is advisable know forward of the sport because the Premier League season reaches its halfway level.
1. The beginning of a memorable 2026 for Liverpool?
The brand new 12 months at all times brings cause for optimism, with Liverpool followers optimistically dreaming of trophies coming their means in 2026.
Granted, this has been a disappointing season thus far, however that is nonetheless an excellent squad able to going far in cup competitions.
The Premier League title feels extremely unlikely, however victory at residence to Leeds would sustain Liverpool’s latest momentum and put the Reds 5 away from fifth-place Chelsea.
Champions League glory in Budapest in Could needs to be the purpose!
2. Leeds on an excellent run of their very own
Liverpool might not have suffered defeat in seven matches, however Leeds are additionally in an excellent place.
Daniel Farke’s facet are unbeaten of their final 5 Premier League outings, together with the 3-3 draw with the Reds at Elland Highway in early December.
A 4-1 thumping of Crystal Palace was Leeds‘ most spectacular consequence on this present run; they’re fifteenth within the desk, seven factors away from the relegation zone.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored in every of the final six matches, netting seven instances, so he can be a menace to Liverpool’s defence.
3. Liverpool staff information
Fortunately, no new accidents emerged for Liverpool towards Wolves, however there are nonetheless plenty of absentees.
Alexander Isak seemingly received’t be again till the spring, becoming a member of Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo and Jayden Danns on the sidelines.
Dominik Szoboszlai is again after serving a one-game suspension, however Ibrahima Konate is a yellow card away from being banned for Sunday’s journey to Fulham.
Mohamed Salah is on the Africa Cup of Nations and was rested for Egypt’s useless rubber group stage conflict with Angola on Tuesday.
4. Potential Liverpool beginning XI
There isn’t any want for Arne Slot to make a number of adjustments towards Leeds, although it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how he suits Szoboszlai again into the staff.
The probably situation is that the the Hungarian is available in for Federico Chiesa on the proper.
Jeremie Frimpong assisted within the win over Wolves and will begin, whereas Andy Robertson will hope to interchange Milos Kerkez who has performed 4 numerous 90 minutes in a row.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
5. How may Leeds line up?
Joe Rodon is Leeds‘ most high-profile damage sufferer, with the centre-back limping off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Sunderland. Sean Longstaff and Dan James are additionally lacking for the guests.
In any other case, Farke has a wholesome squad to select from, with Calvert-Lewin anticipated to guide the road, having already scored towards Liverpool this season.
Noah Okafor may begin up entrance alongside him, whereas Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach are a key midfield pair.
Potential Leeds XI: Perri; Bogle, Struijk, Bijol, Justin, Gudmundsson; Stach, Aaronson, Ampadu; Okafor, Calvert-Lewin
6. Arne Slot says Florian Wirtz wanted “a little bit of time to adapt”
Talking to the media, Slot mentioned Florian Wirtz and the calls for of adjusting to life in a brand new nation:
“It’s completely different – your life is a bit the other way up, and that, for a supervisor, just isn’t the largest downside as a result of I don’t must carry out on the pitch.
“However I can absolutely perceive that some people want a little bit of time to adapt off the pitch as effectively. The largest adaptation for those who come from overseas is that this league and the way intense it’s.
“At present (after the win over Wolves), and even for those who play as soon as per week, you can see that Hugo [Ekitike] had a cramp after 70 or 75 minutes.
“And I didn’t take Florian out as a result of he performed badly, I took him out as a result of he was hardly in a position to carry on working anymore.
“That tells you concerning the new gamers we’ve got introduced in and the way large a step it’s to regulate to those depth ranges.”
7. Leeds’ latest file at Anfield
Leeds‘ final journey to Liverpool was a memorable one for the travelling followers in October 2022, with Crysencio Summerville’s late strike sealing a 2-1 win.
Extremely, it was Virgil van Dijk‘s first-ever residence league defeat for the Reds in entrance of followers, after virtually 5 years and 70 video games within the competitors!
Liverpool received the earlier 5 Anfield clashes, nevertheless, together with a 6-0 hammering again in February 2022.
In actual fact, Leeds‘ final victory there, earlier than the Summerville-inspired win, got here means again in 2001 when Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer scored.
8. Do you know?
If Alisson retains a clear sheet, he’ll change into solely the fifth Liverpool goalkeeper in historical past to maintain 100 within the league.
Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar, Pepe Reina and Elisha Scott are the others to have reached that milestone. What an unbelievable servant Alisson has been for Liverpool!
9. Chris Kavanagh takes cost
Chris Kavanagh will referee the New 12 months’s Day motion – his first Liverpool sport because the 3-0 defeat at Man Metropolis in November.
Dan Cook dinner and Blake Antrobus are his assistants at Anfield, whereas Anthony Taylor is the fourth official.
Darren England is the VAR and assisted by Wade Smith.
10. TV – Reside on Sky Sports activities
Liverpool vs. Leeds is reside on Sky Sports activities Principal Occasion from 5pm (GMT), with kick-off at 5.30pm.
Henry Jackson is within the chair for This Is Anfield‘s matchday reside weblog, making an attempt to be as recent as attainable after New 12 months’s Eve!
Come on you Reds!
