The final Premier League match of 2014 sees Liverpool host Swansea City live on Monday Night Football.
Brendan Rodgers guided Swansea to promotion to the Premier League in
2011 and his former club currently sit three points clear of his current
one in the table.Both sides enjoyed 1-0 victories on Boxing Day, with Swansea beating Aston Villa at home and Liverpool winning at Burnley, but the Reds have won just two of their last eight Premier League games at Anfield.
Team news
Simon Mignolet will return to starting XI at the expense of the injured Brad Jones. The Belgian had been "indefinitely" dropped by Rodgers, but was called upon from the bench when Jones suffered a thigh injury against Burnley.
Fabio Borini returns to the squad following suspension but defenders Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson (both groin) and Jon Flanagan (knee) are still not fit.
Swansea winger Jefferson Montero is set to miss the game after he damaged a hamstring against Villa, although he will be assessed in the next 24 hours.
Garry Monk is set to rotate his squad with possible recalls for Jazz Richards, Wayne Routledge and Bafetimbi Gomis, while on-loan Spurs midfielder Tom Carroll could replace former Liverpool man Jonjo Shelvey.
Opta stats
After just one goal being scored in the first three Barclays Premier League games between Swansea and Liverpool, there have been 16 in the last three.
There have been three goals scored in the opening five minutes of the last two league meetings between these two teams.
Shelvey has scored in both of his appearances for Swansea against his former club.
Last season’s 3-4 defeat is the highest scoring away match that Swansea have been involved in away from home since they reached the Premier League (seven goals).
Wilfried Bony has scored the first goal of the game in three of his last four starts away from home for Swansea.
Paul Merson’s prediction
“I’m going for a Liverpool win here but it’s a very hard game. Swansea are a very good football team and they’ll go to Anfield and pass the ball as well as Liverpool. But Brendan Rodgers will be happy with his side’s performances of late and they are starting to string a few results together. They can continue that and pick up a hard-fought 2-1 win.”
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
Betting
Liverpool are Sky Bet’s odds-favourites at 4/6 to see off Swansea, who are 4/1 to leave Anfield with a win and 14/5 to secure a draw.
Rodgers’ men were cut to 6/1 for a top-four finish following their Boxing Day win, while his former side are considered in with a chance of a top-six finish at 7/1.
Raheem Sterling heads the first goalscorer market at 9/2 and is available at enhanced odds, from 13/8 to 11/4, to score in a Liverpool win in Sky Bet’s Price Boosts.
Bony is considered the visitors’ biggest threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock, while the in-form Gylfi Sigurdsson is 8/1 to net first again.
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