Liverpool vs Norwich City
At long last, the brand new Premier League season is finally set to kick off. And to get the ball rolling, last year’s runners-up, Liverpool, will host the opening day festivities on Friday night UK time as they welcome Norwich City to Anfield.
The Reds came oh so close to winning that elusive Premier League title last season and know that they cannot afford any slip-ups — especially at home against a newly-promoted side — if they are to finally dethrone Manchester City.
But while the Premier League 2019 odds will be heavily in favour of a Liverpool win, they better not underestimate the Canaries, who ran away with the Championship last season to gain promotion.
Talking Points
Liverpool’s lacklustre pre-season
Liverpool’s pre-season campaign was certainly nothing to write home about. The Reds lost three of their five friendlies against tough foreign opposition, falling to Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, and Napoli. They also drew 2-2 against Sporting.
Although, it should be noted that they fielded less than full-strength sides in most of those matches. They were most notably without their big three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Roberto Firmino, who were all busy on international duty with their respective countries over the summer.
Firmino went on to claim the Copa America crown with Brazil, while Mane’s Senegal were unlucky to lose against Algeria in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah and Firmino only featured in their final match against Lyon, which also happened to be the only match the Reds won.
But Liverpool did field close to a full-strength team — Mane was the only absentee — in the Community Shield against Manchester City and held their own. They outplayed the champions in the second half and were a bit unlucky to lose 5-4 on penalties after the game ended 1-1.
It’s still up in the air whether Mane, who only just returned to the team from his summer break, will feature against Norwich. Keep an eye on the Premier League 2019 updates regarding his status just ahead of the match.
If Mane misses out, it’ll be up to Firmino and Salah to carry a Liverpool attack which relied heavily on their front three for goals last season. The talented trio scored 56 of the team’s 89 league goals, with Salah and Mane each chipping in with 22.
Canaries will come to play
Norwich City caught many people by surprise last season as they charged all the way to the top of the Championship.
The Canaries, led by manager Daniel Farke, played a highly entertaining possession-based style in the Championship. They scored 93 goals — with Finnish forward Teemu Pukki bagging 29 — and won the league by five points to make it back to the Premier League for the first time since 2016.
Farke’s success with Norwich has seen him compared to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Like Klopp, Farke worked for Borussia Dortmund prior to taking over at Norwich. Klopp is admittedly a fan of Farke and the Canaries, whom he kept a close eye on last season due to Norwich’s former Dortmund players who were there during his time.
But it remains to be seen just how effective Norwich’s style will be against Liverpool. The Reds’ pressing will be a significant step up compared to anything the Canaries encountered in the Championship, and they could struggle to cope.
Young full-backs Max Aarons (19) and Jamal Lewis (21), in particular, will be tested defensively by Salah, as well as Liverpool’s star full-backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
History
Liverpool and Norwich have met 64 times in total. Unsurprisingly, the Reds hold a significant advantage in terms of wins, 35-14. Meanwhile, there have been 15 draws.
However, this matchup has been significantly more one-sided during the Premier League era. After Norwich won two of the first four meetings in the early 90s, Liverpool have proceeded to win 10 of the last 12 meetings.
Moreover, Liverpool have scored five goals in four of their last six matches against Norwich, with the most recent being a thrilling 5-4 shootout back in January 2016. Roberto Firmino bagged a brace in that match.
Meanwhile, Mane has a habit of starting the season out with a goal. He has scored in each of his first three Matchday 1 fixtures for Liverpool, bagging four goals in total. If he scores against Norwich, he’ll tie Teddy Sheringham’s record of scoring in the opening match of four-straight campaigns.
Betting Tip
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Liverpool vs Norwich City | Norwich Asian Handicap +2.25 @ 1.96 |
| August 10, 03:00 (GMT+8) |
As one would expect, the SBOBET odds are weighted heavily toward Liverpool’s favour. The Reds are priced at 1.14 to kick off their new campaign with a home win, while Norwich are an astronomical 20.00 to score a stunning scalp at Anfield.
However, Norwich have a legitimate shot to win on the Asian Handicap. While Liverpool are always formidable at Anfield, their shaky pre-season does raise some questions about their ability to start the season with a big win. Mane’s potential absence would also deal a major dent to their chances of winning by three or more goals.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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