Stoke v Liverpool: Impermeable Potters on for another draw
Published:Brendan Rodgers had one of his finest hours in the Liverpool dugout when his side routed Fulham 4-0 at Anfield last time out in a game where the score could have actually been much higher given their dominance.
They will not find Stoke – who boast the Premier League’s meanest defence – quite so charitable, however, and a fourth successive draw for the Potters is well worth a bet at 9/4.
They restricted Tottenham to very few opportunities at White Hart Lane at the weekend and the clean sheet they were rewarded with proved to be their third in their last three games. Prior to the Reds demolition job on Fulham, they often found goals hard to come by and Tony Pulis’ men are more than capable of shutting them out like they did when they met on Merseyside earlier this term.
The game ended 0-0 that day and a repeat of this scoreline can be backed at 7/1, while the bookies have become so accustomed to the strength of Stoke’s defence they have chalked them up as short as 5/2 to keep another clean sheet here.
The Potters have tasted defeat just three times in the Premier League this season and all of these came on their travels. Although they have conceded an incredible three goals in the eight games they’ve hosted, a meagre total of just eight scored means this game producing over 2.5 goals is extremely unlikely.
Only one side in the division has managed fewer goals in front of their home fans and it’s clear what aspect of the game the Stoke management team value as the most important.
With livewire Luis Suarez coming to town here, expect them to be extra attentive to their defensive responsibilities and back the game to yield fewer than 1.5 goals at a very strong price of 21/10.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
