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There is a breakaway leader at the top of the scoring charts, with Wayne Rooney’s recent four-goal salvo against Hull shooting him clear of his nearest competitors. With the England striker scoring at the Emirates on Sunday, the bookmakers aren’t expecting anyone to usurp the Manchester United striker, with Coral prepared to offer a best price 4/9 ahead of the Red Devils’ encounter with Portsmouth on Saturday. It’s in this match where the 24-year-old could effectively win the contest, although stranger things have happened than someone bridging the five-goal gap at the top.

Especially when you consider that Didier Drogba has fifteen goals to his name this term after scoring the equaliser at the KC Stadium on Tuesday night. The Ivorian has a phenomenal strike rate in a blue shirt and Stan James’ 8/1 could be an interesting price when you consider he’s playing against favourite team Arsenal on Sunday! The bookmakers are still also offering each-way betting on the contest, with firms like bet365 offering 1/3 odds for the first two places and Sporting Bet offering 1/5 odds for the first three places.

Indeed, it’s crying out for a bookmaker to offer a “without Wayne Rooney” market, with Jermain Defoe (7/1 bet365) also having fifteen goals to his name and Darren Bent (20/1 bet365) having scored fourteen despite playing for a Sunderland team who have been struggling for months. Fernando Torres was the original favourite on this market at odds of around 4/1 and, while the Spaniard got off to a flying start for Liverpool, it was almost inevitable that injury would halt his in his tracks this term. Definitely one to swerve at short odds next term if he’s still playing at Anfield!

Meanwhile, there is a big chase for fourth place in the Premier League this term, something which would provide access to next season’s Champions League. There is a massive financial gulf between qualifying for Europe’s blue riband club competition and the Europa League, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all pushing hard to be in the top quartet. It’s Spurs who currently occupy that golden fourth place, with bet365 offering 10/3 that they are rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barca and Real next term.

However, the bookies think it’s more likely to be Manchester City who take their place among Europe’s elite. They certainly have the biggest finances, although they look defensively suspect away from home and odds of 10/11 (Paddy Power) that they snare a place in the Champions League might not be to everyone’s liking. Liverpool are still realistic contenders, having finished in the top four for several consecutive seasons and bet365 offer 15/8 that they feature in next season’s competition. Aston Villa might be the outsiders, although they have a strong first team and the backers of the 9/2 (Sporting Bet) might just have themselves a value bet.

Seeing as we’ve reached the midway point in the season, we thought it would be shrewd to quickly assess who the best punts are in terms of who will finish the Premiership season as the leagues most prolific striker. With 20 matches already played for some teams, we have three frontrunners setting the standards with 14 goals-a-piece; Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Didier Drogba (Chelsea) and Wayne Rooney (Man Utd). Each are plying their trade with a team currently occupying a top four berth, which just goes to show that having quality assistance makes a tremendous difference to a strikers goalscoring return.

English Premiership Top Goalscorers (As of 31/12/09):

Jermain Defoe 14

Didier Drogba 14

Wayne Rooney 14

Darren Bent 13

Fernando Torres 12

Louis Saha 10

Cesc Fabregas 9

Carlos Tevez 9

Gabriel Agbonlahor 8

Carlton Cole 7

Jermain Defoe – The former Pompey front man made his return to Tottenham nearly a year ago today and has proved a shrewd acquisition ever since, even if the Spurs fans didn’t know what they already had in front of their own noses. In his second stint at the club, Defoe has bagged 17 goals in just 24 appearances in all competitions. This season, Defoe has been the catalyst for Tottenham’s top four push and has scored exactly a third of their league goals this term.

Main Strength: Pace

Defoe’s biggest asset is his pace, without a doubt, but his all around striking ability has gradually improved since his spell at Portsmouth under the same manager, Harry Redknapp. His movement, both on and off the ball, has come on leaps and bounds, while his quick ability to read the play has been one of several positive reasons why Defoe has been such a handful for opposing defences during the early parts of the season.

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 16-2

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Top Goalscorer Odds: 10/3 Boylesports

Didier Drogba – The Ivorian has not only been Chelsea’s best player this season but also probably the best performer in the league on current form, possibly even in Europe. When Drogba goes on one of his free-scoring, confidence beaming runs, the 6ft 2in powerhouse is close to unstoppable. After a difficult season last term, Drogba has come on strong in the early part of this season, but now his priority’s turn towards his International duties with the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations. The former Marseille front man will be sorely missed as, like Defoe, Drogba has scored a large part of Chelsea’s goals this season and has been one half of a lethal striking duo involving himself and Nicolas Anelka. A partnership many thought would never work.

Main Strength – Strength

You don’t appreciate just what an athlete Didier Drogba is until you see him in person, strutting his stuff on that green acre of grass. His 6ft+ height enables him to tower over even the tallest of defenders but it’s his abundance of strength which makes him stand out from the rest and what makes him one of the most feared strikes on the planet. He has the strength to brush even the strongest and bulkiest of defenders aside and yet he still has the composure to finish with aplomb when given a sniff of a chance. Arguably the worlds best striker on present form but his International stint will stop him firmly in his tracks, especially if Ivory Coast do go all the way.

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 18-0

Club: Chelsea

Top Goalscorer Odds: 5/1 Bet365

Wayne Rooney – Just the name should be enough for all you Englishman and women out there. He is, quite simply, England’s brightest talent and he’s not only pivotal for his club, Manchester United, but even more so for England’s chances in the forthcoming summer World Cup in South Africa, although the conditions will be far from sun & shades out in Africa come July.

Rooney has been embracing our screens with scintillating displays ever since his arrival onto the scene at Everton, with his memorable long range strike against Arsenal catapulting him into the arms of Sir Alex Ferguson. However, his performances in a United shirt have confirmed what we pretty much knew all along, that Rooney is a world-class player. He has been United’s stalwart this season, driving the Red Devils forward whenever they have had their backs to the walls. Rooney never cowers away, he thrives on difficult situations and he’s actually been the only shining light in what has been a pretty poor United outfit this season.

Main Strength: Work Rate

Wayne Rooney has similar characteristics to Carlos Tevez, a former team-mate of Rooney’s. Whenever United have looked sluggish, which has been a lot this season, Rooney has picked up the pace by closing down every single opponent who dares to come into possession of the ball. Rooney just doesn’t know when to give in and you’ll often see him running right back to defence in order to make a tackle just so United can gain possession and start another offensive push. This sort of attitude infects those around him to do the exact same and try match his high levels. Those at the club strive to match Rooney’s work rate and high footballing standards, while those outside the club just want to be like him. What’s more, he is actually a decent chap off the field, although he’s like a possessed bulldog on it at times.

Goals: 14

Starts-Sub: 19-0

Club: Manchester United

Top Goalscorer Odds: 13/5 Boylesports

Darren Bent – Bent was the loser of the Tottenham camp under Harry Redknapp, and even with some newspaper columnists, but the England hopeful has put them all to shame with a superb start to the season which has seen the former Spurs man score 13 goals in 20 appearances for Sunderland, a club that were struggling to fend off relegation last season. Bent’s goals this term has enabled Sunderland to challenge for a top ten finish, and, outstandingly, claim the scalps of both Arsenal & Liverpool, with Bent scoring the only goal in the two 1-0 victories over both sides. His confidence at Spurs may have taken a battering but his morale will have sky-rocketed through the roof after a superb opening to the campaign with the Black Cats.

Main Strength: Awareness

Bent has always possessed a fair amount of pace and acceleration, whilst his finishing has generally been OK, but it was his off-the-ball awareness that tended to let him down as he didn’t have that predatory striker instinct which made the likes of Les Ferdinand & Alan Shearer so prolific in front of goal at club level. However, Bent appears to have got the knack of that old adage ‘being in the right place at the right time’ as time and time again this season, Bent ends up with the ball at his feet inside the penalty area. It’s not always about scoring the perfect 20 yard goal but more about sticking the tap-in’s into the goal, as those sort of goals come about more often, which is why Bent has prevailed this season.

Goals: 13

Starts-Sub: 20-0

Club: Sunderland

Top Goalscorer Odds: 7/1 SportingBet

Fernando Torres – Does this lad really need any introduction? The Spaniard stormed onto the scene with an unbelievable début season, scoring 24 in just his first ever season in the Premiership, two season ago, before enduring an injury ravaged season last term. To be fair, he has had his fair amount of injuries this season, with a hernia the latest in a long list of Torres injuries. However, even a cast-iron cast wouldn’t stop this lad scoring as he’s just unstoppable on his day, and he has his day just about every other week, which is why he’s just so deadly. This season, despite starting just 14 times for Liverpool, has notched up 12 goals, just two off the leaders who have played a good handful of games more than him. He narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot in his first season, but will be eager to go one better this season providing he eases off the injuries.

Main Strength: Finishing

I can’t think of a better finisher of the ball than Fernando Torres in today’s game. Stick the Spaniard in a one-on-one situation, heck even a three-on-one, and, chances are, he will skin both defenders and stick it away with ease. He makes goalscoring look so easy, with some composed finishing and neat ball work in tight spaces. That’s another thing with Torres, he not only has the pace to skin a defender but the skills to do so, as well as the know-how to beat a man to the ball from set-peices. You’d be hard-pressed to find a defender who hasn’t been made to look foolish by the Liverpool No.9, just ask Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), who was supposedly one of the world’s best defenders last season, and yet Torres tore chunks out of him at Old Trafford, both last season and this season.

Goals: 12

Starts-Sub: 14-1

Club: Liverpool

Top Goalscorer Odds: 4/1 Coral

The four mentioned above are what I consider to be the main contenders for the crown. Carlos Tevez (Man City) could be a possible outsider but I can’t see him scoring enough regular goals to put him in the frame.

A few factors that could affect the outcome:

• Injuries (both to themselves and team-mates, as players like Defoe thrive on a quality supply)

• International Duty

• Discipline (Be careful of fiery characters; such as Wayne Rooney, who can lose his cool when things aren’t going his way which could then lead to a suspension)

• Form (For both the player and the team)

There are others, things like off the pitch problems with club debts, transfers, hiring and firing of managers etc. All of which could affect the overall morale of a camp, but they are the main ones that could come up with off the top of my head.

Our Golden Boot Pick: Fernando Torres

If he’s fit; he starts. If he starts; you’d fancy him to score. It’s as simple as that for us. Torres could go games without a goal and yet he would still have it within him to pull a hat-trick out of the blue. He’s immensely talented, one of the very best strikers on the planet when in tip-top shape, and an injury free end to the season would make him a very strong candidate for the crown as the two goal deficit he faces at the moment is nothing for him, especially now Drogba will miss the best part of January’s fixtures.

Odds: 4/1 Coral

We’re approaching the halfway stage of the English football campaign, with most top flight teams having played at least fifteen matches. As usual, the Premier League can only be won by champions Manchester United or Chelsea, with both showing the sort of consistency required to land the title. However, it’s a different story when we look at the Top Goalscorer market, with no less than five players being quoted at single figure odds by the bookmakers.

This market traditionally goes down to the wire, with Nicolas Anelka winning the Golden Boot on the final day of last season. However, it’s his Chelsea strike partner who is proving to be prolific this term, managing 11 in the Premier League to date. Didier Drogba might be a great bet at 3/1 (Sporting Bet) if it wasn’t for the fact that he’ll be jetting out to Angola for the African Cup of Nations in January. This will see him miss at least four matches for the Blues and it could knock the player out of his stride.

It’s Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe who leads the way at the moment, with the pocket-sized Spurs striker managing 12 goals this season. He looks to be in great form as he looks to cement a place in Fabio Capello’s England squad, although it’s worth noting that five of his dozen goals came in one match. I often think that it’s better to back players who score on a game-to-game basis rather than lots of goals in one go. Ladbrokes share the same view and go 4/1 that he finishes at the top.

It’s possible that Fernando Torres would be top of the tree had injury not played a part this season. The Spaniard has missed the last few games for Liverpool, although he has a tremendous scoring record when he has played in a red shirt this season. A tally of ten league goals sees him just two off the pace and it appears he’ll be back for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. El Nino has pretty much returned to the odds (4/1 Sky Bet) that were given to him at the start of the season but can he now stay fit and kick on?

The other player to have hit double figures in the Premier League this term is Wayne Rooney, who is certainly what you’d describe as streaky in front of goal. Before United’s game at Portsmouth on 28th November, the England striker had scored just one goal in six games, although class is permanent and he’s now up to eleven goals this season after a hat-trick at Fratton Park. If he stays free of injury, he should easily reach the 20 goals mark, a tally which has been enough to win this contest on two of the past three seasons. Victor Chandler go 3/1 that he goes into the World Cup looking for a Golden Boot double.

Will the top goalscorer come from this group of four? You have to go back to the 1999/2000 season to find the last time a player from outside the ‘Big Four’ won this market, with Kevin Phillips banging in 30 for Sunderland. The Black Cats have a new prolific striker this term, with Darren Bent on the tails of the leaders with nine goals. Although the England hopeful has failed to score for the last three matches, he is the penalty taker for the Wearside club and won’t have the distraction of Europe in the New Year. Ladbrokes offer 10/1 that the former Spurs striker lands the spoils.

Here are some pieces of advice that will hopefully give you a helping hand when it comes to your weekend wagers on the football!

Pay attention to the penalty-takers for each team

Graham Alexander might be a holding midfielder for Burnley, but the Scot has scored three times from the spot this season. At this rate, he will get close to double figures for the campaign and so the odds of 7.00 about him scoring at any stage would pay over time. Frank Lampard might be injured, although he has also scored three penalties this season, while Alessandro Diamanti, Darren Bent, Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy and Leighton Baines have all scored twice past the keeper from twelve yards.

Back players to score at any time rather than first

Let’s face it, how can you back a First Goalscorer with any confidence? While punting on Darren Bent to achieve this in every game so far this season would have resulted in a 50% strike rate, it’s always a risky bet with each goal consisting of so many variables. If you genuinely believe that a player will find the back of the net during the ninety minutes, a far safer option is to bet on them scoring at any stage. Not least because your bet is guaranteed to last the full match unless the player is sent off. When Cristiano Ronaldo played for Manchester United, the bookmakers regularly used to offer the Portuguese forward at even money, even when he was on a scoring run of five games.

If Fernando Torres is fit for the Manchester City game on Saturday, then it’s worth noting that he’s scored in four of his last five Premier League matches. Similarly, Cesc Fabregas has scored in his past three matches and also five of his past seven games for the Gunners. The Spaniard will have the urge to get even further forward at Sunderland, now that Robin Van Persie is injured.

Consider Asian Handicap and Draw No Bet markets for bigger-priced selections

Ahead of Liverpool’s match at Sunderland earlier this season, it emerged that the Reds were missing Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for the trip to Wearside. I was therefore surprised to find the bookmakers offering 3.00 about the Black Cats on the Draw No Bet market, where you get your money back if the scores finish level. This is a sound bet if you think the outsiders are good for at least a draw.

Asian Handicap betting can be employed if you either a) think that a favourite will win by a big margin or b) think that an outsider will only lose by a slender margin at worse. Last Saturday, Norwich City were available at 1.90 to beat Tranmere with a -1.0, -1.5 handicap. If the Canaries had won by one goal, then you would get half your stake returned from this wager, although they ended up triumphing by a 2-0 scoreline. This won the bet and was far more profitable than backing them at 1.40 to win the match.

Anfield
November 9th
Kick Off: 8.00pm

Liverpool will look to move up the Premier League from their current 7th position, with a win over Birmingham at Anfield on Monday night. The Reds almost did their Champions League campaign a huge boost when they took a late lead against Lyon last week, but the French side hit back with an equalising blow which still leaves Liverpool’s qualifying position in a lot of doubt. The draw has left Liverpool’s record as six defeats in their last eight games in all competitions. This however, is a chance to start building some form and momentum.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will be hoping that Fernando Torres comes through a fitness test and is able to take part. The Reds really need his awesome presence at the moment, for if anyone is going to ease the pressure off Benitez, then it is going to be him. Steven Gerrard, who has been out with an injury too, has been back in training, but there is only a slim chance that he will take the field against Birmingham. With Birmingham down in 15th position, this is the ideal chance for Liverpool to build on what they achieved in Lyon. Even with a weakened side, should they not field Gerrard and Torres, Liverpool should still have enough in the tank at Anfield to beat Birmingham.

Blues boss Alex McLeish recently gained a valuable win over Sunderland in the league, and then followed it up with a 0-0 finish against draw specialists Manchester City. The Scot will know that his team have not been good on the road, winning only one and losing four. Birmingham’s problems are in front of goal, where they have only mustered eight in the league so far, the exact amount which they have conceded in all of their away games. They do not have a bad defensive record really, but there has just not been enough of a balance in going forwards to back things up. The Blues, who have recently been taken over, are hoping that the January transfer window comes sooner rather than later.

So too may Rafa Benitez, if he is going to be given cash to spend. On the current view of things, they do, certainly if they want to compete with Chelsea, who opened up a five point gap over Manchester United with a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. It is a disappointing predicament for Liverpool fans, seeing that such early in the season, a lot of hopes have gone. It seems a far stretch for them to have realistic Premier League dreams, they were knocked out of the Carling Cup by a young Arsenal side, and their Champions League progress has been seriously impaired. Where to turn to for Benitez in front of the Kop on Monday night, if they cannot produce a much needed win?

Liverpool to win: 4/11 at Bet365
Draw: 4/1 at Ladbrokes
Birmingham to win: 10/1 at BetFred

Betting Advice: Birmingham will probably be happy enough with a draw at Anfield. It is probably how they will go and set their stall out anyway, hoping to catch the often vulnerable reds on the break. Liverpool should win, even if it’s a scrappy 1-0 affair, so it could be worth taking that, or perhaps backing a Birmingham surprise, especially after how Fulham outsmarted the Reds.
Liverpool to win 1-0: 13/2 at Victor Chandler
Birmingham Draw No Bet: 8/1 at 888Sport

It is tough times for Liverpool supporters at the moment. Injury worries over your top two players, and just one win in seven games, doesn’t not make for happy reading. Steven Gerrard will again be missing from the starting eleven, as Liverpool travel to Lyon in the hope of rescuing their European campaign. Boss Rafa Benitez will be feeling some pressure as he tries to pull his Reds from the doldrums. Despite the run of bad form, they proved by beating Manchester United in the league, that they know how to win. That victory was in stark contrast to the 3-1 horror-show defeat which they suffered against Fulham on the weekend. With two players sent off, and Fernando Torres coming off early to try and protect him against injury, Liverpool were unable to build on the success of their previous league game. The recent loss has left them 9 points behind leaders Chelsea.

It was against Lyon on Match day three that Gerrard picked up his groin injury, and the club has stated that he has no chance of appearing on Wednesday night. The problems which Benitez has to overcome, is compounded by the fact that world class striker Fernando Torres is also struggling with a groin injury, and why his time was limited in the weekend Premier League fixture. There are a couple more players missing from the squad because of injury, but the Reds will be cheered that Alberto Aquilani could be back in the line-up.

With one of the richest European histories in football, the current Liverpool form is simply not good enough for the dedicated Kopites. With two straight defeats in the Champions League, they are still not out of the race though. If they can win against Lyon, it will draw them to within three points of the group leaders, and probably Fiorentina too, who should be expected to be on 9 points after Match day four. However if Liverpool lose and Fiorentina win, that would leave Lyon on 12, Fiorentina on 9 and the Reds on three. It will be a long, long way back from there, and so the recovery needs to start on Wednesday without fail.

They do not have the comfort of the Anfield crowd, but perhaps that will ease some of the pressure, by not having as much of a tense atmosphere. This is the kind of game where Steven Gerrard would stand up to be counted, but someone else needs to fill his boots. They definitely need some time on the pitch from Fernando Torres though, as there doesn’t appear to be anyone who can carry the burden of shooting the Reds to victory. Torres is a world class striker without question, but is lacking some support. Rafa Benitez needs to dig deep now to galvanise his troops, and a scrappy 1-0 win would do the job just perfectly. It is something which they are capable of doing, but Lyon are no pushovers at all. They are a dominant force in Europe, the equivalent of a Chelsea in the French League.

Lyon to win: 7/5 at Totesport
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Liverpool to win: 21/10 at Coral

Betting Advice: Of course Liverpool will be missing Gerrard and Torres (if he doesn’t make it), but that is no excuse for a club of Liverpool’s stature. Lyon are three wins from three games in the Champions League, and have only conceded the one goal. Liverpool’s goal tally stands at two, and that is the clear indicator of why they have been struggling. They now have to figure out how to stop Lyon waves of attack, and how to find the back of the net at the other end. Hopefully Torres will be fit, but even if he is, it could still not be enough. Form is one of those fickle things, and the Reds must be low on confidence in contrast to the high flying French.
Lyon to win 2-0: 10/1 at Paddy Power

After some much publicised poor form, Liverpool hit back in the best way possible last weekend, with a strong home victory over bitter rivals Manchester United. Such was their dominance on the day, that even Alex Ferguson could not muster up any excuse as to why his players had let him down so badly. They had simply been outplayed, and that is the very thing which has been afflicting a lot of Liverpool’s play over the run of recent matches. They had failed to stamp any authority on their Champions League matches, and in their last league defeat at the hands of Sunderland, they were simply outworked with desire and determination.

Fulham’s story of the season reads like a Jekyll and Hyde scenario. They can look a decent side at home, not so good away, but are not on too bad of a run of form. Over the last three matches, they have not lost a game, coming up against some opposition which are considered to be better than them. After a win against Hull, they subsequently drew with Roma in Europe, and fought their way back to tie with Manchester City. They will head into the match without striker Andy Johnson, Danny Murphy and Simon Davies.

Liverpool’s main fitness concern is over that of Steven Gerrard, but England full back Glen Johnson will also be missing through injury. Last weekend’s goal-scoring hero Fernando Torres should be fit to make a start, and will carry a lot of the responsibility of the team. Many thought that the absence of Steven Gerrard, combined of that of Torres would be the downfall of the club, and it has played a big effect during their run of four straight defeats. But as they proved against Manchester United, on their day, they can still produce. Captain Gerrard was missing from the line-up at Anfield against Manchester United.

Liverpool fielded a lot of their second string in their Carling Cup defeat against Arsenal, not having the capacity to overcome the Gunner’s youngsters. Despite the victory over Manchester, there is no getting away from the fact that Liverpool have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions. While there has only been public support for Reds boss Rafa Benitez, should another defeat pile up against a bottom half of the table team like Fulham, then there has to be pressure building up behind the scenes at Anfield.

Liverpool currently sit in sixth place in the league, on the same points as Manchester City immediately below them. They will be looking upward though, towards where they believe they should be, and see that they are six points adrift of leaders Chelsea. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have all lost two matches already this season (all away from home), whilst Liverpool have suffered double that amount already.

History is not favouring Fulham’s chances to much, as they have struggled to even manage a goal against Liverpool in the past couple of seasons. Their win against Hull amounts to only one in five league games now, and while they have been battling for draws, they have lacked that killer punch, something which has seen them do so well in their European quest so far this season. A win for the 13th placed Cottagers, would ease some of the pressure and now could be a good time to capitalise on Liverpool’s weakened, Gerrard-less midfield. Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will be hoping for goals, as they are averaging about a goal a game. Whether that one will be enough will be the big question, as they do not look fully equipped to go out and score more than two.

Fulham to win: 10/3 at William Hill
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Liverpool to win: Evens at Bet365

Betting Advice: If striker Bobby Zamora, the culprit of the glaring miss against Manchester City last weekend, has refocused his sights, he will be the main threat on the day for Fulham. Liverpool are a lot more vulnerable than they were last season, and the defeat against Arsenal may just have dampened spirits a little after their momentous victory over Manchester United.
Correct score 1-1: 13/2 at Skybet

Injuries to major stars are casting shadows over the Sunday clash between Liverpool and Manchester United. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, could be missing from the big Premier League clash, as the England striker has a calf injury, which means that he may not be risked for the weekend’s big game. Alex Ferguson has stated that Rooney has an uphill battle to make the starting eleven. Liverpool have hopes that Fernando Torres will be fully fit to play up front after a recent injury, and there are still doubts of whether Steven Gerrard will be available as he limped off during the Red’s Champions League loss to Lyon in midweek.

This is a crucial game for Liverpool, as they look to halt a four game losing streak, which has sent waves of discontent ringing around Anfield. There is to be a protest on Sunday ahead of the game, with subscribers to the Spirit of Shankly Group going on a march to voice their disapproval at the owners of the club. Since Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over the club, the prestigious Anfield outfit has slumped into large debts, and now, combined with the poor results, the fans are getting restless. Manchester United in contrast are in good form and will be looking to hold on to top spot in the Premier League. Closest rivals Chelsea play on Saturday, and the London side could temporarily go top by two points if they beat Blackburn. That would put some more pressure on Manchester, and add extra incentive to kick the wounded Liverpool while they are down.

Tale of the Tape:
Goalkeepers: Reina v Van der Sar. Think who you would want as the last line of defence. Despite his aging years, Edwin Van der Sar still constantly reminds the world just how good he is. He was a steal for United and has rescued them countless number of times. His back-up Ben Foster has a lot to learn in contrast to the Dutchman, and when it comes down to it, United have the edge in this department. Reina is competent of course, and has served Liverpool well, but in times of crisis you would probably back Van der Sar over him.
Man United win Goalkeeper 1-0

Defence: Clearly there needs some work doing at the back for Liverpool, as a run of four straight defeats must point to the defence somewhere. Even if it was just taken from a team point of view when it comes to defence, their duties aren’t being fulfilled. United on the other hand are stingy at the best of times. Rio Ferdinand has not looked himself since his return from injury, and while the likes of Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Jonny Evans step in, they aren’t in the same class as Rio on top of his game. Uncharacteristically United have let in far more goals at home than they have away, while it is the reverse for Liverpool. United have conceded five fewer goals in the Premier League in total. Liverpool just do not have the stand out names in their defence, depsite having two England internationals. Jamie Carragher will usually turn out a steady performance, and Glenn Johnson is more often than not blinkered in going forward and is a liability. Certainly not as cohesive as United at the back.
Man United win Defence 1-0

Midfield: Another edge for Manchester United. When you name Scholes and Giggs, then you know what you are getting. Dedicated players who have poured their heart and soul into their Old Trafford careers. They may be getting on in age, but they are vital components of a larger machine, which is the sum of all its parts. The likes of Fletcher, Anderson, Carrick and Hargreaves are not going to strike fear into opposition when they see their names on the team-sheet, but Alex Ferguson has a way of bringing out the best in players when employed in a working model. They also have a little flair in the other Portuguese winger Nani, and Ecuadorian Valencia. It may be a little unfair to say it, but Liverpool are a one man midfield. Steven Gerrard. While he is good enough to be the equivalent of two players, the only real support he gets is from Benayoun. Perhaps they do rely too much on Captain Gerrard and his absence really does highlight a problem for Liverpool in terms of drive and dedication in the middle of the park.
Man United win midfield 2-0

Strike Force: Up front is where it all counts to be honest, as goals win games. The two stand out players are both injury doubts for Sunday though. Fernando Torres is a class act for Liverpool, but, like the midfield, has to do a lot of it on his own. Dirk Kuyt has been a refreshing outlet for Liverpool since his arrival at the club, but apart from that, the striking cupboard for Liverpool is a little bare. Take out Torres and Gerrard’s contributions, and there is 11 goals of their 22 scored gone in the league. Much of the same can be said for Man United in a way. Take Rooney out of the equation and there goes the main source of goals. Liverpool have scored one more goal in the league than Man United, but United’s goals have come from a lot more players than what Liverpool’s have. Rooney is on 6 league goals, and then you have to look down the list to Berbatov and Owen for the next. It is a little hard to discern why two of the top teams are so reliant on just one striker. Tottenham for example have Defoe and Keane, Man City have Adebayor and Bellamy, Arsenal have Arshavin and Walcott (when fit), Sunderland have Bent and Jones, and Chelsea have Drogba and Anelka. Again, with Manchester United, if they have the likes of Berbatov and Owen who can chip in as part of the machine, then it can work. But losing one class striker, be it Torres or Rooney, is bound to be detrimental at some point of the season. They are the types of talent which are irreplaceable from depth. Someone else needs to carry the can.
Tied for Strike Force: 1-1

History: In the corresponding fixture last year, Liverpool beat Manchester United. In fact they beat them twice last season, and one of them was won without Torres and only 20 minutes worth of contribution from Gerrard. If there are games that Rafa Benitez will raise his troops for, then it will be the ones against United. When the Liverpool backs are against the wall, this is where, in the past they have gone against form and put in a rousing performance to breathe new hope. It is a different scenario to last season, when Liverpool were pushing hard for the title, as they are already seven points adrift of United, and another defeat would leave them with a massive 10 point deficit to try and reel in. Beach balls aside, they aren’t performing like title contenders and that will be putting pressure on Benitez. Ferguson will be wary of the wounded beast when they take to the Anfield pitch. Manchester have won five out of their last seven trips to Anfield, suffering only the one defeat, and they hold the best record against Liverpool of all English teams.

Form: Manchester definitely have the form. They are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions. Liverpool, as has been document are on a four game losing streak in all competitions. They have fallen to seventh in the Premier League are have a real uphill struggle to make it to the next stage of the Champions League. The injuries to Gerrard and Torres will play their part, more so than United missing Rooney for a few games. Manchester United though, haven’t won in their last four attempts against any of the Big Four opposition.

Liverpool to win: 2/1 at Bet365
Draw: 23/10 at Ladbrokes
Manchester United to win: 6/4 at Totesport

Betting advice: Will Liverpool be able to raise their game in front of an increasingly anxious Kop? A victory on Sunday would be more than just a moral one over a fierce rival. It would be one that would probably turn their season around. A defeat would be somewhat disastrous and they would make the task of having to pick themselves back up, even tougher. They have a midweek game at Arsenal in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, which may compound their problems. Form and quality points to a Manchester United victory, but these are the types of games where Liverpool could sneak a win. Not here though.
Manchester United -1 Asian Handicap: 33/10 at Bet365

Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from the beach ball incident which ended up costing them the game on Saturday against Sunderland. The Scouse-offending ball was tossed onto the pitch by a Reds supporter apparently, and when Sunderland striker Darren Bent’s shot hit it, keeper Reina was confused by the big red ball and made a move to save it instead of the small white one. Easy mistake to make one supposes. That kind of put the sour icing on a badly made cake for Liverpool, who have not been having a great time of it of late, and this now constitutes a big week for them.

The Reds lost their last Champions League match, which was away to Fiorentina, where they were outclassed in a 2-0 defeat. That defeat left them third in Group E and now have to try and rescue their campaign a little by beating Lyon. They will be hoping that by being at Anfield, will give them an edge over the French side, who have won their opening two Champions League games. Lyon have fired their way back to the top of the domestic French league, with just one defeat so far, which occurred on Saturday. On match day two, they beat Debreceni 4-0, in contrast to Liverpool’s struggling 1-0 victory over the Hungarians.

Liverpool had somewhat of a stuttering start to their domestic season, but then started picking up. But their last three games have seen the might giants falling from grace again. Following the 2-0 defeat by Fiorentina came another 2-0 defeat, this time in the Premier League to Chelsea. Add on top of that the 1-0 defeat by Sunderland and the Reds are seriously looking to turn around form. If Tuesday night does not go well for them, then it will make their next domestic game even tougher to bear. Who do they play? League leaders Manchester United. A very big week for Liverpool.

Boss Rafa Benitez’s worst nightmare came true on Saturday. The Reds were without both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. Many questions have been raised over how strong Liverpool really are without those two, and not only the result on Saturday, but the manner in which they fell, will be concern to Liverpool fans. Sunderland displayed a lot more drive and determination to get the job done, and made Liverpool look lack-lustre and lost without their two star players. Fortunately captain Gerrard is fit enough to make the starting eleven against Lyon, but they will still be without top scorer Torres.

That makes one wonder just where the goals will come from for the English side. Four defeats in the Premier League and only one goal in two Champions League games simply is not good enough. The defeat by Fiorentina will have certainly let them know that are in a tougher group than they might have expected.

Liverpool to win: 5/6 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Blue Square
Lyon to win: 4/1 at SkyBet

Betting Advice: Certainly the Kop will be demanding a lot more from the players on the field, and if ever there was a need to raise their game, it will need to be done against Lyon. Lyon are a great side to watch, and tough to play against with plenty of Champions League savvy and know-how. They top Group E and will probably be happy enough to come away from Anfield with a draw, even though Liverpool are definitely there for the taking. Without Torres and having to pick themselves up from a severe slump in form, a win could just be a little too much to ask.
Lyon to win 1-0: 12/1 at SkyBet

Liverpool will look to build on their Match Day one home victory over FC Debrecen. Their less than impressive 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Dirk Kuyt goal, may not have been the prettiest, but they got the job done, and in the group stages, that is often important. None of the four English entrants put in a comprehensive performance in their opening matches, and Liverpool had some genuine scares against the Hungarians. Nevertheless, that is past them and the Reds are on a current 6 game winning streak in all competitions, after a slow start to the season.

Their comprehensive 6-1 thumping of Premier League team Hull on the weekend, will have bolstered their confidence. Their Italian opponents lost their opening game in the Champions League 1-0 to French outfit Lyon, and will look to their home record against English clubs in Europe to kick start their campaign. The Italians, despite only winning one home game in the Champions League since 2000, have not lost against an English side on home turf in UEFA competitions. To add to that stat, they haven’t even conceded a goal in the three matches.

Liverpool have encountered their fair share of Italian opponents in the Champions League, and their last four trips to the country, has seen then come away without having suffered a defeat. Only injury doubts are plaguing the Liverpool squad at the moment, with Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun both missing from the midfield. Up front is where the battle could truly be won though, as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is in hot form, bagging himself a hat trick on Saturday, while the Viola will be without their top scorer Alberto Gilardino. They will likely be relying on ex Chelsea forward,  Adrian Mutu to lead the attack against the Reds.

Liverpool have scored 18 goals in six matches now, and the mainstay of the team is still Torres and midfield general Steven Gerrard. Fiorentina will know that they have to find a way to shut those two out of the game, in order to compete. Liverpool look the more accomplished team at the moment and are in sparkling form. Fiorentina won their Serie A match on the weekend, a 1-0 win away at Livorno. They have only lost once this season in the league, and they currently sit in fourth place in the Italian league, just two points behind leaders Sampdoria, who they recently beat comfortably 2-0.

On the English domestic front, Liverpool moved themselves up to third spot, thanks to their six of the best display against lowly Hull. They seem to be gathering some pace after their two early league losses, and will head off to Italy without any reservation about the task in hand.

Liverpool to win: Evens at Totesport
Draw: 5/1 at Stan James
Fiorentina to win: 7/2 at BetFred

Correct Score Prediction 1-1: 6/1 at Boylesports

Betting Advice: Liverpool look irresistable going forward at the moment, but they are prone to defensive errors. Fiorentina are probably a better side than people give them credit for. They may be effected by the loss of Gilardino, but they could comfortably maintain their good record against English teams if they keep Torres quiet.