Liverpool vs Leeds United predictions and betting tips – Reds to extend winning run

Liverpool have turned a corner after that dismal spell of form that sent them tumbling down the Premier League table. Arne Slot’s side have not been perfect of late, but they are at least getting results again.

Will Liverpool prove too strong for Leeds United, or can Daniel Farke’s side spring a surprise at Anfield?

• Liverpool to win by one goal – 5/2 with Sky Bet
• Both teams to score – 8/11 with Betfred
• Hugo Ekitike to score any time – 4/5 with BetVictor

Liverpool vs Leeds United odds

Find the latest Liverpool vs Leeds United betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Liverpool vs Leeds United predictions

Between September 27 and November 22, Liverpool played seven games in the Premier League and lost six of them.

It was a nightmarish run that sent Arne Slot’s side sliding down the standings, from first at the start of it (a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace) to 12th at the end (a 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest).

No one who has watched Liverpool in the last few weeks would say they are back to their best, but the champions have at least stopped the rot with a six-game unbeaten streak.

Liverpool have won four of those matches, including each of the last three. Their latest success was not altogether convincing, but the Reds held off a Wolverhampton Wanderers fightback to beat the last-placed team 2-1.

And with that, Liverpool have retaken their place in the top four. The title will be out of reach this term – leaders Arsenal are 10 points ahead – but Champions League qualification is a realistic objective.

Liverpool are by no means perfect, but the same can be said of the teams around them in the table. 

Chelsea and Manchester United have been hamstrung by inconsistency since the start of the campaign, while potential contenders like Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United look off the pace.

Still, Slot knows as well as anyone that there is still considerable room for improvement. A goal difference of +4 shows that Liverpool are not exactly the dominant force they were in 2024/25. 

Meanwhile the Reds rank sixth for expected goals difference – solid but unspectacular, and behind the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Even in their current winning run, Liverpool have looked vulnerable at times. They gave up several chances in a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion and were saved by their opponents’s profligacy. 

Liverpool proceeded to show poor game management in a 2-1 defeat of nine-man Tottenham Hotspur, before almost allowing Wolves back into the game at the weekend. Their present vulnerability from set-pieces will have been noted by Premier League coaches up and down the division.

Still, there have been positives for Slot to take from his team’s recent displays. Florian Wirtz finally scored his first league goal for Liverpool against Wolves, while the attack in general has been sharper of late. After a terrible autumn, things are starting to look up for Liverpool.

Liverpool vs Leeds United betting tips

Liverpool and Leeds United are ready to do battle at Anfield on New Year’s Day.

Liverpool to edge it

Leeds United will be delighted with their results in December.

A five-game unbeaten run featuring two wins and three draws has lifted Daniel Farke’s side seven points clear of danger.

Leeds are not out of the woods yet, but they have put themselves in a promising position to avoid an instant return to the Championship.

The Whites recently fought back to draw 3-3 with Liverpool at Elland Road, and they will give the same opponents something to think about on New Year’s Day.

The Reds’s superior individual quality will probably make the difference, but this promises to be a tight game at Anfield.

Tip Liverpool to win by one goal at 5/2 with Sky Bet

Leeds should find net 

Farke’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation was a decisive factor in his team’s upturn in form.

An injury to Joe Rodon in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland last time out forced Leeds to revert to four at the back, but they still carried a threat going forward.

Liverpool’s defence has been exploited by opposition attacks for much of this season, so Leeds will fancy their chances of scoring in a ninth consecutive Premier League match.

The Reds are unlikely to be denied at the other end, so this wager looks like good value.

Go for both teams to score at 8/11 with Betfred

Ekitike on scoresheet?

Whereas Wirtz and Alexander Isak hit the ground trudging at Anfield, Hugo Ekitike has had a fine start to life as a Liverpool player.

With Isak facing a spell on the treatment table, Ekitike looks set to be Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward for at least the next couple of months.

With Rodon out of Thursday’s match, Leeds are likely to line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Jaka Bijol partnering Pascal Struijk at the back.

Ekitike’s movement will cause that pair problems, and if he gets an opportunity in and around the penalty area there is a good chance the Frenchman will take it.

Select Hugo Ekitike to score any time at 4/5 with BetVictor

Liverpool vs Leeds United predicted lineups

• Liverpool expected lineup: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike. 
• Leeds United expected lineup: Perri; Bogle, Bijol, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Ampadu; Aaronson, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin.

Where to watch Liverpool vs Leeds United

• Location: Anfield, Liverpool, England.
• Date and time: Thursday 1st January, 5.30pm.
• How to watch: Sky Sports Main Event.

More Premier League predictions

We have plenty more Premier League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

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