Norwich City vs Liverpool. Premier League.
Carrow RoadAttendance27,023.
Todd Cantwell available after an ankle problem for Norwich while Virgil van Dijk is in contention for his long-awaited Liverpool return; watch Norwich vs Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Saturday Night Football; kick-off 5.30pm
Saturday 14 August 2021 19:41, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Norwich vs Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday Night Football, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 5.30pm).
Norwich expect to have midfielder Todd Cantwell available after an ankle problem for the Premier League opener against Liverpool.
Poland winger Przemyslaw Placheta is not yet fully fit after struggling with the consequences of a positive Covid-19 test, but there are no other isolation issues within the squad after a recent outbreak at the club.
Defender Andrew Omobamidele is another doubt as he recovers from tonsillitis, but new signings Pierre Lees-Melou, Joshua Sargent, Christos Tzolis, Milot Rashica, Angus Gunn and Billy Gilmour, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, could all be involved. Full-back Sam Byram (hamstring) is a long term absentee.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is in contention for his first appearance since a season-ending knee injury in October.
Manager Jurgen Klopp's other major decision will be who to pair him with as Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are both fit after their own injuries while new signing Ibrahima Konate has impressed in pre-season.
Midfielders Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are only a week into their delayed pre-season, so are only likely to be on the bench while left-back Andy Robertson's ankle injury means Kostas Tsimikas is set for his first league start a year after joining the club.
Norwich vs Liverpool is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
A new season means everyone starts afresh but it's hard to ignore Liverpool's strong finish to the last campaign. Jurgen Klopp's men went unbeaten in their final 10 Premier League games last season, erasing any thoughts of a period of regression in the Klopp era. With Virgil van Dijk back, all is set up for the Reds to renew their title credentials and engage in a potentially explosive battle at the top with Manchester City and Chelsea. I'm sure many will be placing Liverpool in their accumulators - and rightly so this weekend. A fast start is expected at Carrow Road.
My eyes are always drawn to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the player shots market when Liverpool play a team where they will dominate the ball and get their full-backs high into attacking areas. In fixtures against Sheffield United, West Brom, Burnley and Newcastle last season, Alexander-Arnold averaged 2.8 shots per 90 minutes, showing he isn't afraid to have long-distance efforts on goal.
When factoring in that average against the current odds available of 7/2 with Sky Bet for him to register three shots or more on goal, it certainly resembles an interesting value play.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-3
BETTING ANGLE: Trent Alexander-Arnold to have three or more shots on goal (7/2 with Sky Bet)
The Premier League is back! New signings, new teams, old rivalries resumed and fresh hope, all to the sweet sound of full stadiums. Kate Burlaga is joined by Nick Wright and Gerard Brand to preview another nine months of drama in the top flight.
PART 1: Are City still the side to beat? And who will challenge them? Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool assessed
PART 2: Will the north London gloom lift? Leicester in focus and surprise package: Leeds, Aston Villa and Everton tipped
PART 3: How will promoted trio Brentford, Watford and Norwich fare? Plus: New managers assessed, and can West Ham deal with European distraction?
