The Premier League fixtures are piling up over this busy Christmas period and it's time for Liverpool to play the first of two away fixtures in a row. On Wednesday evening, they'll be heading to Turf More to take on Burnley.

Current Form

Burnley

Burnley are in dreadful form in the Premier League at the moment having won just 2 games all season. Over the previous 5 fixtures, they've lost 4 and drawn 1 and now find themselves in 19th position on 9 points, facing a difficult relegation battle if things don't change quickly.

So far this season, Burnley have scored 13 times, an average of 0.93 goals per game. That's not something that's going to worry many teams. Defensively they've been even worse, conceding 29 goals, an average of 2.07 goals per game.

Liverpool

Dramatic scenes at the end of the Merseyside derby led to Liverpool maintaining their great form in the Premier League so far this season. After 14 games, they sit in 2nd place on 36 points, just 2 behind Manchester City. Over the previous 5 fixtures, they've won 4 and drawn just 1 away from home to Arsenal.

Liverpool have scored 27 goals in the Premier League this season, an average of 1.93 goals per game. That number has dipped slightly after the 1-0 victory over Everton on Sunday. Defensively, Liverpool have been excellent so far having conceded just 5 goals in the league all season, an average of 0.36 goals per game.

Head to Head

In the previous 10 fixtures between the clubs, Liverpool have won 7, Burnley have won 2, and there has been 1 draw. Liverpool are the favourites on form here, therefore, and Burnley will be looking to become a giant killer in order to reignite their season.

Analysis

Burnley

After a terrible couple of months in the Premier League, the only real advantage that Burnley have here is the fact that the game is being played at Turf Moor. With confidence at an all-time low, it's difficult to see Burnley having much of a chance to get anything out of this game. This is reflected in the betting odds, with Burnley currently being offered as big outsiders at odds of 14.0 to win.

Perhaps the best thing Burnley can do here is to try to frustrate Liverpool by remaining compact and denying them an early goal. There may be opportunities to strike from set pieces but Burnley will need to be at their best to nullify this attacking Liverpool team. Sitting too deep will invite too much pressure on an already leaky defensive line while playing too offensively will give Liverpool's attacking players opportunities to cause damage on counter-attacks.

Liverpool

Confidence must be flowing through the veins of Liverpool players at the moment after a dramatic win against their local rivals at the weekend. That victory has allowed the Reds to keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the table but they now need to go out and make a statement here that they're not prepared to slip up. With Manchester City playing Chelsea soon, Liverpool have an opportunity to keep themselves in the title race by doing their part and taking 3 points here against Burnley.

With Mane out injured due to a cut on his foot from the Everton game, there will be a change to the front three for this fixture. Sturridge is likely to find himself in the starting 11 and this is a great chance for him to try to get on the scoresheet. Robertson is also a doubt so Moreno will likely fill in at left back, while Henderson will be available for selection again following his ban over the weekend. These changes shouldn't cause Liverpool too many issues with the quality they have throughout the squad but there will be no room for complacency if they want to be considered real challengers for the title this season. It should be business as usual for the Reds, who will look to take control of the game and allow the forwards to work their magic on this fragile Burnley defence.

Predictions

I fully expect Liverpool to go out and get the job done here as Burnley are in terrible shape at the moment. If there's an early goal for the Reds then this could become a long evening for Burnley, but it's important for Liverpool to remain patient if things don't go their way at the start.

Prediction: Liverpool win

Score Prediction: Burnley 0 - 3 Liverpool

Betting Picks

Shaqiri to score anytime at 2.62

I have been impressed with Shaqiri this season and fancy him to score if he makes the first 11 here. This isn't a value bet so I'll only be wagering a small amount for fun.