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Two of the Premier League's most in-form sides meet at Anfield on New Year's Day, with Liverpool looking to strengthen its chances of securing a top-four spot
Liverpool hosts Leeds United in its first match of 2026, as the Reds look to consolidate their top-four place.
Tuesday’s fixtures went in the Reds’ favor, with Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points, while third-place Aston Villa suffered a first Premier League defeat since its trip to Anfield at the start of November.
Liverpool is also enjoying an impressive run, with Arne Slot’s side winning four in a row. In fact, it hasn’t dropped points since that chaotic 3-3 draw at Elland Road nearly four weeks ago. That has seen the champions move up to fourth in the table, and it could open up a five-point lead over Chelsea with a win against Leeds on New Year’s Day.
READ MORE: Cody Gakpo could replicate unique Ian Rush milestone in next Liverpool matchREAD MORE: Arne Slot singles out Liverpool player for recent form and sends 'smarter' warningThat may not be a straightforward task, however, with the Yorkshire club unbeaten since the end of November. Leeds has earned nine points from its last five games, which has significantly enhanced its position in the relegation fight.
Daniel Farke’s side has taken points from its last two away trips at Brentford and Sunderland, and Leeds did win on its last journey to Anfield in 2022.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, here are all the need-to-know details.
What time is kick-off?
The game begins at 5:30 pm in the UK. For fans in the US, that's 9:30 am Pacific Time and 12:30 pm Eastern Time.
Is the game on TV?
The game can be viewed on Sky Sports Premier League and can be streamed via the Sky Go. In the US, the match will be available on NBC, while it can also be streamed via NBC.com and Peacock.
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Team news
Liverpool will welcome back Dominik Szoboszlai after the midfielder missed the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers through suspension. He is the only player returning, but Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo may be options to start.
The pair returned from short injury absences against Wolves and came off the bench in the second half.
Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo are also expected to miss out, while Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak will certainly be unavailable due to long-term injury issues. Mohamed Salah, who made headlines in the aftermath of the reverse fixture, is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
As for Leeds, Joe Rodon will be unavailable after he was replaced with an injury in the draw with Sunderland on Sunday. Daniel James and Sean Longstaff are also set to miss out through injury.
English (US) ·