It’s fair to say that both Liverpool and Leeds are in desperate need of a Premier League win at the moment.
The Reds have only won two of their last six games and were beaten by Nottingham Forest last weekend, who are currently bottom of the league.
However, the situation at Elland Road is far more severe.
The West Yorkshire natives are now winless in their last eight games and the mood around the club appears to be reaching breaking point.
Pressure on head coach Jesse Marsch has increased in recent weeks, with fans chanting Marcelo Bielsa’s name following their 2-0 loss to Leicester.
Should The Reds get an early goal on Saturday evening, The Peacock’s generally loyal away support could turn on their team very quickly.
However, while this Leeds team is in terrible form, their underlying numbers suggest they should’ve picked up more points than they have done thus far.
Jesse Marsch’s side are ranked eighth in the league on expected goals difference per 90- the differential between their expected goals for and against.
The Yorkshire side currently sit on a neutral zero on this stat, placing them above the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
This effectively means that the club are putting up as much expected goals as they are conceding them at the other end.
However, the key problems here are that while The White’s xG may be solid in attacking sense, this is ultimately futile when there is nobody capable of finishing those chances.
While Patrick Bamford’s style benefits the whole team due to his hold up play and pressing ability, his finishing has left much to be desired this season.
At the other end, while The Whites aren’t conceding an excessively high number of chances, they are conceding a large volume of ‘big chances’. Leeds currently rank third for big chances conceded, which could go some way to explaining their current predicament.
However, only two teams rank above The Whites in terms of big chances conceded – with one of those clubs being Liverpool.
Going by these numbers, we should expect an end-to-end game with plenty of chances being created for both sides.
But the key difference here is that Jurgen Klopp’s men are much more likely to take these chances.
The hosts will be hoping that Bamford’s poor finishing persists in the game as it would seem likely that he will be presented with at least one goal scoring opportunity, given The Reds’ penchant for conceding key chances.
But the home side may have been given a huge boost after Marsch confirmed in his press conference that several attacking players could miss the game.
According to the Leeds manager, Joe Gelhardt, Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra are all doubts for Saturday’s fixture.
If Bamford’s goal drought continues, this could prove to be massive for The Reds as Rodrigo and Gelhardt would be the two players the former RB Leipzig head coach would look to turn to in his place.
The loss of Sinisterra could be even more pivotal. The Colombian has safely been Leeds’ most dangerous player this season, creating several chances thanks to his ability to beat opposition fullbacks with ease, alongside his considerable threat shooting from range.
Ultimately, this is a game Liverpool are be expected to win. Leeds look bereft of confidence after their extended winless streak and are likely to be missing a number of key players, which is unlikely to improve their goal scoring problems.
However, as last week proved, The Reds must avoid compacency as any team in the Premier League can cause an upset if given the chance.
