Key events
Some pre-match reading, here:
“I always think of these opponents for the Tony Yeboah goal,” emails Andy O’Shaughnessy. “I had started a job in Bristol and wandered into one packed pub – when Tony scored. Thirty years later it’s still iconic.”
Oh, yes. One of the great Premier League goals. It’s the sound of it that still gives me the goosebumps. I reckon you could close your eyes, listen to the above clip, and still figure out what goal is was: the ball thudding off Yeboah’s laces, crashing off the underside of the crossbar to send the Elland Road crowd wild.
In case you need reminding, the reverse of this fixture just last month was a ripsnorting 3-3 draw, and was the catalyst for those Mo Salah comments.
Arne Slot makes three changes from Liverpool’s win over Wolves, with Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing for the Reds. It is not the first time the Dutchman has played there, and also occasionally featuring there for Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. It’s interesting that Conor Bradley has got the nod over Frimpoing at right back and Frimpong has got the nod over forwards like Gakpo and Chiesa, both on the bench.
For Leeds, in-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin is on the bench! Here’s what Leeds manager Daniel Farke has had to say to Sky Sports:
I trust my whole group. If I don’t use the whole group and we have a schedule like this, I would never do this. For a player like Dominic I have to look after him. We all know his recent couple of years was difficult. He is in red-hot form but it’s important I look after him and sometimes the head needs to win over the heart.
We are the underdog. We have to make sure we take strength of performances, surprise them as well. If you are the underdog you have to be more flexible.
The teams!
Liverpool (a fluid 4-3-3): Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai; Frimpong, Ekitike, Wirtz.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Gakpo, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Lucky.
Leeds (3-5-2): Lucas Perri; Bornauw, Bijol, Struijk; Justin, Gruev, Ampadu, Stach, Gudmundsson; Aaronson, Nmecha.
Subs: Darlow, Bogle, Calvert-Lewin, Piroe, Okafor, Harrison, Tanaka, Byram, Gnonto.
Preamble
Welcome to the Gary McAllister Derby, as almost nobody knows it!
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence might already be up in smoke, but maintaining their current position of fourth come the end of this season is still absolutely essential to the club. Those Alexander Isak instalments are not going to pay themselves.
Arne Slot will have enjoyed this week’s results thus far, with pretty much all the teams around them dropping points. Third-placed Villa lost (at Arsenal), fifth-placed Chelsea drew at home to Bournemouth and are now manager-less, sixth-placed Manchester United fielded five defenders and two defensive midfields and only managed a 1-1 draw at home to possibly the worst ever Premier League side in Wolves, while seventh-placed Sunderland face a tough task in the visit of Manchester City (later on today). With the Mo Salah debacle calming down and Florian Wirtz finally finding the net, things are suddenly looking up for the Reds.
Leeds are on something of a run, unbeaten in their last five. Their only objective is clear: stay up, by hook or by crook. Philosophy, identity and style can wait: just lump it up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and pray that the big man can keep his own run going – the striker has netted at least one goal in each of his last six matches – to drag Leeds six points from the drop zone. DCL has three goals in his last five matches against Liverpool, and another one here would be extra special, given his Everton links.
With your running shoes still in the back of the wardrobe, your New Year’s resolutions may have got off to a terrible start but what do you the rest of your family expect? It’s Anfield under the mid-winter lights (kick-off 5.30pm GMT). Time to settle into that sofa once again and crack a frosty one. Enjoy the footy and happy 2026 everyone.
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