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We’re seeing in the new year in style at Paddy Power with a bumper offer for a big New Year’s weekend of footy.
If you place a £/€5 Bet Builder on Arsenal v Man City at 12.30pm on New Year’s Day (that’s Saturday, folks), you’ll get a FREE £/€5 Bet Builder on Chelsea v Liverpool on Sunday afternoon at 4.30pm.
Here at PP News we’ve got your top tips covered for Arsenal v Man City with this 77/1 Bet Builder, and below we’ve picked our four selections for Chelsea v Liverpool too.
The Draw
Chelsea’s title hopes took a further dent with the concession of a late equaliser against Brighton on Wednesday night, and it feels as though they will have to win both upcoming games against Liverpool and Manchester City if they are to have any hope of reclaiming the title they last won in 2017.
Liverpool’s title hopes took a similar blow with the defeat at Leicester on Tuesday, giving this game the feel of a title eliminator. Whoever loses this one will be effectively out of the title race, while a draw will all but hand City their fourth title in five years.
With both sides struggling for form recently, a draw very much feels like the most likely outcome. Liverpool have taken 10 points from their last five games, but they have failed to win their last two and were unconvincing in the three wins that came before against Wolves, Aston Villa and Newcastle.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have won just two of their last six games and have looked convincing in none of them. Both sides have struggled with Covid absentees and injuries and simply cannot compete with City’s embarrassment of riches. They could hand further initiative to the champions on Sunday.
Both teams to score
Chelsea appeared to be impregnable early in the Premier League season when they conceded just four goals in their opening 12 games, but those days are long gone. The Blues have now conceded 10 in their last eight in the league, keeping just one clean sheet in that eight-game spell.
They have not kept a home clean sheet in the league since the end of October and have little hope of doing so against a Liverpool side that has scored 50 goals in 19 games.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have not kept a blank in their last three league games and do not look as resolute as they once did, even with the return of Virgil Van Dijk from a lengthy injury.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have conceded 16 goals in their opening 19 games, including three against both Brentford and West Ham in uncharacteristically porous away performances. August’s meeting between the two sides ended in a score draw and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this game go the same way.
Chelsea v Liverpool – Sunday, January 2: 4.30pm
Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event
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Romelu Lukaku to score anytime
Due to a number of mitigating circumstances, Romelu Lukaku hasn’t had the impact one would expect from a £100 million striker since returning to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Injuries have hampered his return, causing him to make just 12 league appearances since making his long-awaited return to west London. He has scored just five league goals for Thomas Tuchel’s side and, far from being the missing piece to Chelsea’s almost-completed puzzle, Lukaku’s arrival has actually coincided with a dramatic downturn in form.
However, he has scored two goals in two games over the festive period and he seems to have finally rediscovered his goalscoring touch.
The Belgian has faced justified criticism for failing to perform in big games throughout his career and now is the time to prove himself against a seemingly fragile Liverpool defence.
Mohamed Salah anytime assist
Mo Salah has now failed to score or assist in his last two Premier League games, only managing it once in his first 17. The Egyptian winger has been Liverpool’s best player by a considerable distance this season and his failure to impact their two most recent games has seen them take just one point from a possible six and hand the initiative to City.
Salah, however, is both the top scorer and top assister in the league at the halfway mark, setting up his Liverpool teammates on nine occasions. He appears to have lost his goalscoring touch in recent weeks, scoring just twice in his last five games, but he still remains Liverpool’s most creative and threatening player. He averages more than two key passes per game and is Liverpool’s best chance of breaching an out-of-sorts Chelsea defence.
Chelsea v Liverpool tips
BET BUILDER
The Draw
Both teams to score
Romelu Lukaku to score anytime
Mohamed Salah anytime assist
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New Year’s football tips
- Chelsea v Liverpool tips: We’re backing the draw in this 22/1 Bet Builder
- PHIL THOMPSON: My Chelsea v Liverpool tips for the Stamford Bridge showdown
- Premier League tips: Our 6/1 treble for Sunday’s 2pm kick-offs
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