Alexis Mac Allister is going into the last two years of his Liverpool contract and has been linked with a move away from the club

Alexis Mac Allister is going into the last two years of his Liverpool contract and has been linked with a move away from the club

Our football betting expert Jones Knows offers his insight ahead of another exciting weekend of Premier League action.

Liverpool vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm

Enzo Maresca is becoming a better manager by the day since leaving Chelsea.

The players just don't look like they know what they are anymore. There's no clear structure, no rhythm and too many individuals going through the motions. Throw in the distraction of an upcoming FA Cup final and a summer World Cup and it's not hard to see why focus levels might not be where they need to be.

That's a dangerous mix heading to Anfield.

Liverpool have been typically strong at home, losing just once in their last 11 there. It's still one of the toughest assignments in the league when the crowd gets behind them and Liverpool tend to smell vulnerability.

Image: Mark Harris landed the £250,000 Super 6 jackpot

And Chelsea, right now, look there for the taking.

So rather than overcomplicate things, I'm happy to side with the obvious but with a bit of value built in.

Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals at 11/8 with Sky Bet looks a winner in waiting.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1Brighton vs Wolves, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6!

There aren't too many angles you'd immediately trust when it comes to Wolves but drawing fouls and winning cards is definitely one of them.

They've got some very streetwise operators in that frontline. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, in particular, is excellent at putting defenders under pressure and Matheus Mane looks wise beyond his years when it comes to drawing fouls.

Mats Wieffer is likely to be operating in those central areas from his hybrid right-back role where Wolves look to engage physically and draw fouls. And there's a bit of history here too, he's been booked in his last two starts against Wolves and carries a 0.4 cards per 90 ratio with him this season, meaning the 11/4 with Sky Bet for a card has a huge amount of potential.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-0Fulham vs Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6!

This one has a proper end-of-season edge to it.

It might not scream "headline fixture" at first glance, but dig a little deeper and it's absolutely massive in the race for Europe. A win for Fulham would move them to within a point of Bournemouth, who are right in the thick of the top-six conversation and refusing to go away. The Cherries are unbeaten in 16 matches in all competitions inside 90 minutes - a run built on resilience, attacking intent and a growing belief that they belong in this fight.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sky Sports senior reporter Rob Dorsett explains the complicated scenario whereby Brentford or Brighton may be better off LOSING on the final day of the season to qualify for the Champions League.

Fulham, though, won't see this as anything other than an opportunity. At home, with the gap there to be closed, they have every incentive to go for it. Sitting back and settling isn't really an option when the prize is this big. They are 16/1 with Sky Bet for a top six finish. Win this and then it's Wolves next.

That's what makes the goals angle so appealing. Both sides know the value of a win here - not just psychologically, but in shaping the European picture. The over 3.5 goals line at 11/8 with Sky Bet has a chance.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-2 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Over 3.5 goals (11/8 with Sky Bet)Sunderland vs Manchester United, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6!

Bruno Fernandes to register an assist at 11/8 with Sky Bet looks a standout angle again - and it's a bet that should feel familiar after it landed in this column last week.

It's paying to follow the conductor rather than the finishers.

Now, officially, Opta didn't award Fernandes an assist vs Liverpool. But Sky Bet settle assist markets using Fantasy Football rules based off the official Premier League account, which defines assists differently to Opta. The important thing for Sky Bet punters? It paid out.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick discusses his future at the club and what is his main focus is for the final games of the season.

Fernandes is sitting on 19 Premier League assists for the season - just one behind the all-time single-season record jointly held by Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20.

Fernandes is actively looking to create. The first instinct now is the slide-rule pass, the clipped cross or the early release into runners. He's playing like a man hunting history.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Bruno Fernandes assist (11/8 with Sky Bet)Manchester City vs Brentford, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6!

There's no margin for error now for Manchester City.

Every game is a must-win if they're going to keep the heat on Arsenal at the top and you'd usually expect them to swat aside most visitors at the Etihad when the pressure is this high. But there are just a few cracks appearing that make this a little more interesting from a betting perspective.

City conceded chances worth 2.72 expected goals at Everton - the fifth-most they've allowed in a Premier League match under Pep Guardiola and their worst defensive output in a game since 2024. That's not something you see often and it hints that teams are finding ways to get at them.

Igor Thiago has been a revelation this season scoring 22 Premier League goals, the most ever by a Brazilian in a single campaign, and he's right in the mix for the Golden Boot. More importantly, he's the focal point for everything Brentford do well in attack.

If Brentford create, he's the one getting on the end of it.

At 2/1 with Sky Bet for Thiago to score anytime, that looks a big price.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-2Burnley vs Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports

It's not about style now for Aston Villa, it's about getting over the line.

With Premier League fixtures running out, Villa know that any kind of win here takes them a big step closer to locking in Champions League football for next season. Performances become secondary at this stage, it's all about outcome.

That mindset is important when assessing how this game might play out against Burnley.

Villa aren't a team that tend to blow sides away regularly anyway. In fact, 12 of their 17 league wins this season have come by a one-goal margin. That tells you everything about how they manage matches when they get in front.

So while the temptation might be to just back Villa to win at 4/7 with Sky Bet, the smarter angle is to lean into this one-goal margin trend and back it to land again at 5/2.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1Crystal Palace vs Everton, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports

Crystal Palace's issues defending set-pieces have become impossible to ignore. They've shipped 17 goals from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season - only Bournemouth, with 19, have conceded more.

So, when assessing Everton's routes to goal here, the focus immediately shifts towards the two centre-backs. Splitting stakes on Michael Keane to score first at 16/1 with Sky Bet and James Tarkowski to score first at 25/1 with Sky Bet makes plenty of appeal in what could be a bruising, low-margin encounter.

Keane, in particular, is always a major threat. His 1.1 shots per game average is an eye-catching figure for a central defender and highlights just how involved he becomes when Everton load the box from corners and wide free-kicks. Tarkowski isn't far behind at 0.9 shots per game either and often attacks the first-contact zones aggressively.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6!

There are certain players whose importance goes way beyond the eye test and Bruno Guimaraes falls firmly into that category for Newcastle.

The numbers around him scream about his importance.

Since the start of last season, Newcastle have won just 18 per cent of their Premier League matches without Guimaraes in the side. With him? That figure rockets to 50 per cent.

His return was obvious in the victory over Brighton last week where he completely dictated the rhythm of the game. Newcastle suddenly looked like themselves again - aggressive in the press, sharper in transition and far calmer when building attacks through midfield.

He was the driving force behind everything good they produced.

That makes Newcastle on the draw no bet market at 10/11 with Sky Bet look a smart angle against a Nottingham Forest side that could be running on fumes.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2West Ham vs Arsenal, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6!

Arsenal are now trading around 1/5 with Sky Bet to get the job done in the Premier League title race and after what's been a proper emotional rollercoaster of a season, they've put themselves in a position where it's theirs to lose - again.

A trip to West Ham in their predicament is exactly the kind of setting where the game can become tight, scrappy and decided by small margins rather than free-flowing football. One goal may settle it and Viktor Gyokeres could be the man to get it.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sky Sports' Nick Wright explains how Arsenal's success this season could make them the richest club in England.

He is absolutely flying. He's the top-scoring Premier League striker over the last three months with nine in his last 12 league appearances. But it's not just the numbers. There's a real edge to his game right now. The physicality, the movement, the way he's engaging defenders. He's reminding me of Diego Costa.

Combative, aggressive and a constant problem for his marker. The 9/2 on him scoring the opening goal is an angle to consider.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Viktor Gyokeres to score first (9/2 with Sky Bet)Tottenham vs Leeds, Monday 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Tottenham's performance at Aston Villa didn't receive the credit it deserved.

Yes, Villa were poor. Yes, they looked miles off their usual levels. But what Spurs produced in that environment, under that pressure, was seriously impressive.

For a team with confidence on the floor and relegation danger hanging over them, to go to Villa Park and execute Roberto De Zerbi's demanding style with that level of bravery and aggression was extraordinary.

The control they established was the real eye-opener.

Villa didn't register a shot until the 61st minute and had just one touch in the Spurs penalty area before then. That's not smash-and-grab football or chaotic counter-attacking. That's complete territorial domination - the kind of control usually associated with Manchester City or Arsenal when they're at their suffocating best.

If they reproduce anything close to that level here, Leeds could get overwhelmed quickly.

The market certainly expects another strong showing with Spurs available at 4/5 with Sky Bet and it's difficult to argue against that price if the psychological corner has genuinely been turned.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0Jones Knows' best bet...1pt treble on: Over 3.5 goals in Fulham vs Bournemouth, Bruno Fernandes +1 assist & Viktor Gyokeres to score first (33/1 with Sky Bet) Jones Knows' Profit & Loss record 25/26 Best Bet singles (1 unit) Best Bet multiples Total P+L Matchday One 0 -1 -1 Matchday Two 0 -1 -2 Matchday Three 0 -1 -3 Matchday Four 0 -1 -4 Matchday Five +2.75 -1 -2.75 Matchday Six -1 -1 -4.75 Matchday Seven -1 0 -5.75 Matchday Eight -3 0 -8.75 Matchday Nine 0 -1 -9.75 Matchday 10 -1 -1 -11.75 Matchday 11 -1 0 -12.75 Matchday 12 -1 -1 -14.75 Matchday 13 -2 0 -16.75 Matchday 14 -1 -2 -19.75 Matchday 15 0 -1 -20.75 Matchday 16 0 -1 -21.75 Matchday 17 0 -1 -22.75 Matchday 18 0 -1 -23.75 Matchday 19 0 -1 -24.75 Matchday 20 -1 0 -25.75 Matchday 21 -4 0 -29.75 Matchday 22 0 -1 -30.75 Matchday 23 0 -1 -31.75 Matchday 24 -1 -1 -33.75 Matchday 25 -1 -1 -35.75 Matchday 26 -1 -1 -37.75 Matchday 27 -2 -1 -40.75 Matchday 28 -1 -1 -42.75 Matchday 29 -1 0 -43.75 Matchday 30 -1 0 -44.75 Matchday 31 -1 0 -45.75 Matchday 32 -1 0 -46.75 Matchday 33 -1 0 -47.75 Matchday 34 -1 0 -48.75 Matchday 35 -1 0 -49.75

Adblock test (Why?)

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

A loss Thursday would be a devasting blow in an already frustrating 2024/25.

As is the case for any (sobs) 14th-place team, Tottenham Hotspur's season hinges on competitions outside the Premier League. A bye into the Europa League Round of 16 keeps that avenue open, and the FA Cup remains a possibility as well, but the most immediate and realistic path to silverware is the League Cup. Yes, the road is brutal, with a trip to Anfield before a final against Newcastle, but only 180 minutes separate Spurs from ending their long-standing trophy drought.

That makes Thursday the biggest match of the season so far. Tottenham impressed in the semifinal's first leg, grinding out a 1-0 win despite ceding possession, absorbing pressure, and deploying a makeshift backline. Now, the battle shifts to Liverpool, where the country's best team will be confident in its ability to overcome a one-goal deficit. Spurs enter as clear underdogs but must find a way to advance.

Semifinals (2nd Leg): Liverpool (0) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Date: Thursday, February 6
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
TV: Paramount+ (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Since the first leg, Liverpool has gone 5-1-1, with the lone defeat coming in a meaningless Champions League contest with a rotated lineup. With a Premier League title in sight and a strong European campaign underway, one might assume this competition sits lower on the priority list. Unfortunately for Spurs, there are no significant matches on Liverpool's immediate horizon, meaning Arne Slot is likely to field a strong XI at Anfield.

Both teams were relatively cautious in North London, though for different reasons. Tottenham's approach was shaped by a defense missing three of its four preferred starters, alongside a newly introduced Antonin Kinsky. Ange Postecoglou now has the opportunity of choosing from options like Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, though plenty of important names like Micky van de Ven remain injured.

For Liverpool, the decision to play pragmatically was likely strategic — returning home with just a one-goal deficit seemed an acceptable trade-off. Having made that decision, Slot's side will now bring intensity reminiscent of December's league fixture. Players like Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dominik Szoboszlai were all absent from the first leg's starting lineup, but may be called upon Thursday with the objective more clear.

A few moments of greatness

Tottenham will not see much of the ball at Anfield. Liverpool will dominate possession, generate the bulk of the chances, and apply relentless pressure in Spurs' defensive third. That is a daunting prospect for cobbled-together squad; the number one priority is minimizing mistakes, especially with a lead to protect.

That said, Spurs must be willing to attack when opportunities arise and will not need much possession to be dangerous. Both Dominic Solanke's narrowly disallowed goal and Lucas Bergvall's successful strike in the first leg came via direct play over the top. Exploiting Liverpool's high press with quick, vertical attacks could be Tottenham's best path to maintaining the advantage.

If Spurs can capitalize on a pressing opponent and snatch an insurance goal, the tie will come down to their ability to weather the inevitable storm. Recent form does not inspire much confidence in their defensive resilience, but Tottenham has produced surprising performances against top teams this season. Postecoglou will need another one to keep his second-season trophy promise alive.

Liverpool fans will have seen the social media stories circling that both Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk signing a new contract, something Arne Slot was asked to comment on.

Speaking (via 90min.com), our head coach said: "We have some contractual situations that you don't probably don't know about.

"But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven't extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.

"My life is mainly short term but we have so many quality people at this club that look at the longer term as well.

"You always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up.

"The players that don't play a big part at the moment; will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they [want to] go somewhere else?

"So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do."

The Dutchman doesn't really like to provide a direct answer on these topics, as it's not something he's directly involved in and prefers to allow time to pass.

However, confirmation that contracts have not been signed is a clear indication of the current situation and does debunk Robbie Fowler's theory.

Salah, Van Dijk and Trent have not yet signed a new contract Pictures via @MoSalah on X

John Barnes has stated that if he were in charge of the new deals, he would select our captain as the most important of the trio.

Many fans have their own opinions as to who they would or wouldn't allow to leave the club but it does feel that the overwhelming majority want all three to commit their future to staying on Merseyside.

You would assume the club can afford to do this but whether the financial model allows it is another question.

It's the same situation we've been in all campaign but we can take from this that no deals have yet been signed and it doesn't feel like we're close to them being done either.

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day's top stories straight to your mobile

One year on: EOTK's tribute to Alex South – the former LFC defender who played with Liddell & Paisley

The post Arne Slot directly responds to rumours of Salah and Van Dijk’s new contracts being signed appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract in the summer, with Liverpool at risk of losing all three of their stars for nothing

Liverpool are set to face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tonight.

The Reds lost the away first leg 1-0 controversially courtesy of Lucas Bergvall's late goal but he really should’ve been sent off earlier.

Newcastle United have reached the final by beating Arsenal in the other semi-final so the winner of this tie will take on the Magpies at Wembley on 16th March.

As per team news, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota have returned to full fitness after recovering from their injury problems but Trent Alexander-Arnold has sustained an issue since featuring against the Cherries. So, he has been ruled out.

Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Tottenham

Caoimhin Kelleher has been playing in the cup competitions but Alisson Becker started in the previous leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Brazilian may continue in goal for the hosts tonight.

Jarell Quansah has started all the Carabao Cup matches thus far this season but considering the importance of the fixture tonight, Ibrahima Konate is expected to be called upon to feature alongside Virgil van Dijk in the CB position.

Conor Bradley would replace injured Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas might get the nod to start in the left-back position ahead of Andy Robertson.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are likely to continue in the engine room with Dominik Szoboszlai in the CAM role. Therefore, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones could be among the substitutes.

Cody Gakpo has also played all the League Cup games and should continue in his preferred left-wing position, while Mohamed Salah would be on the opposite side.

Luis Diaz may start again in the CF role, therefore, Darwin Nunez and Jota could feature off the bench if needed. Here is how Liverpool could line up vs Tottenham:

The post 4-2-3-1: How Liverpool could line up against Tottenham – Carabao Cup appeared first on Paisley Gates.

The Sky Sports campaign to try and destabilise Alexander Isak and get him out of Newcastle United is relentless, with the likes of Paul Merson and others, always willing to...

You can click here to read the full article.

Source