Why Liverpool can sign off by beating Swansea

Sunday’s fixture between Swansea City and Liverpool may look a classic dead rubber on paper, but both sides still have a lot to play for as the Premier League season draws to a close – and that is particularly true of the Reds.

To say it’s been a difficult year for Kenny Dalglish’s side would be an understatement and they will travel to South Wales in the knowledge that anything less than victory will see them finish behind Everton for only the second time in the Premier League era.

Not only that, but if the red half of Merseyside fail to match or better Fulham’s result at Tottenham, then they will finish ninth – their worst position in Premier League history – and will also have their lowest points total in those two decades.

However, pride can be a valuable motivational tool and it was evident at Anfield on Tuesday as Liverpool spanked Chelsea 4-1 to atone for their FA Cup final defeat to the same opposition just days earlier.

Remarkably, that was only Liverpool’s 14th league win of the season – to put that into context, they have lost 13 – but it would be no surprise if they signed off for the season with victory over the Swans.

There will also be plenty of individual motivation for the trip to the Liberty Stadium, with the news that new England manager Roy Hodgson will announce his Euro 2012 squad next Wednesday.

Liverpool have won eight of their 18 away matches this season and six of those have been victories to nil. The multiple score price of 31/10 for a 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 away win therefore looks extremely tempting.

Andy Carroll has found form at the right time, with three goals in their last six games, while Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Glen Johnson will also be keen to make an impression.

Danny Graham, Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer will be desperate to grab the headlines too, as Swansea will be just as keen to mark their successful first season in the Premier League with a closing triumph on home soil.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have collected an army of fans this year with their slick, Catalan-style passing football.

They are among the top ten sides in Europe for passing accuracy and at one point, midfield schemer Leon Britton topped the list of players just ahead of Barcelona maestro Xavi.

A win for the Swans, coupled with poor results for Sunderland and West Brom, could see the Welsh side rise two places and finish in the top half of the table – an outcome which would be worth over £1.5 million in prize money.

Despite their impressive performances this season, Swansea have managed only one win in their last eight matches and have failed to net in their last five meetings with Liverpool.

With that in mind, a win for the Reds, priced at 21/20 in bwin’s 3way football betting market, looks the sensible way to go, compared to 5/2 for a home win or 12/5 for the draw.

Liverpool have won eight of their 18 away matches this season and six of those have been victories to nil. The multiple score price of 31/10 for a 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 away win therefore looks extremely tempting.

New customers registering with bwin can claim a free £25 bet and placing this on Liverpool to win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 will return £102.50 if the Reds do triumph by one of those scorelines.

For punters seeking a longer-priced selection, a 2-0 Liverpool win could be worth a look at 19/2 as the Reds have secured half of their away wins by that margin this season.

Recommended bet: Liverpool to win @ 21/20
Outside punt: Liverpool to win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 @ 31/10
Long shot: Liverpool to win 2-0 @ 19/2

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