Leeds vs Liverpool: Four predictions for crunch Elland Road clash from Shearer et al. | OneFootball

Leeds host Liverpool under the lights at Elland Road on Saturday evening and four pundit predictions will make for grim reading for Reds fans.

Daniel Farke’s side look to have turned a corner after their hugely impressive 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Wednesday, in which they used a 3-5-2 system which nearly saw them turn their game against Manchester City on its head last weekend.

But a draw with Sunderland last time out for Liverpool means Arne Slot’s side remain in the doldrums, and a trip to a buoyant Elland Road is hardly what they need right now.

Here are four pundit predictions for the clash.

Alan Shearer

Again, how can I say Liverpool will win with any confidence? Especially when you consider what the atmosphere will be like. Leeds will go after them. I can’t say Liverpool are going to win, I find it difficult to say.

So, I’m going to say Leeds home win. I don’t see anything in Liverpool that gives me any confidence that I can say that they’re going to win.

There is nothing in Liverpool’s game that I saw in midweek and I’ve seen in them this season that I could say with hand and heart that they’re going to go there and win because I just don’t think you can.

Peter Crouch

I think certainly at home. Leeds at home versus Liverpool. There’s some atmosphere there. I think this will be a tough game. I hate doing this, but I’m gonna go for Leeds 2-1.

I don’t think they’re out of it yet. I don’t want this to happen, but you know, I’ll be happy in both ways because, you know, I want Liverpool to win this game.

I just think it’d be a difficult place to go. And I don’t think they’re quite out of the woods yet. I think West Ham are a poor side at the moment.

Paul Merson

Leeds United have done well in recent games. That was a massive result against Chelsea and even against Manchester City last weekend, I thought they were very unlucky to not walk away with at least a point after that comeback in the second half. If Leeds can get Elland Road going like they did in the win over Chelsea, they have a chance in this game.

You know what surprised me during Liverpool’s draw against Sunderland? It was 1-1, they were chasing the winner and Arne Slot decided to take Alexander Isak off. I know Federico Chiesa came on as his replacement and produced a great clearance to deny Sunderland the winner, but I find that substitution quite strange. Your main signing, the man you paid the record transfer fee for, taken off when your team needs a goal. I just can’t get my head around it!

Florian Wirtz is slowly showing signs of improvement at Liverpool. I’ve always said that he needs more games. This is a hard league and you need time to get used to it. The German league is quite open and gives players like him the space to operate effectively. Here, every game is hard. If you look at the Leeds team for example, most of the players in that line-up would be full internationals. You don’t see that in a team battling relegation in the Bundesliga. That is the difference. Liverpool need to trust him with more minutes now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool won this game 2-0 or even 3-0. But it’s a free swing for Leeds at Elland Road and that makes them dangerous. I’m going for a draw, but if I was forced to pick a team, I’d choose Liverpool.

Chris Sutton

When are Liverpool going to turn the corner? They were fortunate not to lose at home to Sunderland in midweek and they still look fragile.

The way Arne Slot’s side are playing, this is going to be another tough game for them. As Chelsea found out on Wednesday, Leeds at home are usually a different animal to Leeds away.

The biggest difference with Daniel Farke’s side in the past couple of games, however, has been down to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He gives them a different dynamic in their attack.

Calvert-Lewin came on at half-time against City and played 86 minutes against Chelsea, and his physical presence up front was a big factor in both games.

I am not sure how Liverpool are going to have to deal with him but my only doubt about Leeds is how much those two games have taken out of them. 2-2.