"Long way below their best this season" - Chris Sutton makes prediction for Leeds vs Liverpool

BBC pundit and former Blackburn Rovers forward Chris Sutton reckons Liverpool and Leeds United will play out a 1-1 draw this weekend. The two teams lock horns in a Premier League clash at Elland Road on Monday (April 17).

The Reds enter this contest after a 2-2 draw against leaders Arsenal at Anfield in their last game. Jurgen Klopp's side clawed their way back from two goals down but remain eighth in the standings, 12 points adrift of fourth place.

Leeds, meanwhile, took a 1-0 lead against Crystal Palace in their last game before collapsing to a massive 5-1 defeat. Javi Gracia's side are 16th in the standings and remain mired in a relegation fight, sitting just two points clear of 18th-placed Nottingham Forest.

Despite the vast difference in their places in the Premier League table, Sutton feels the two teams could play out a stalemate. He wrote in his column for the BBC:

"This is just impossible to call. Which Leeds side will turn up, and for how long ... and what kind of performance do we get from Liverpool this time?

"Leeds were actually really good in the first half against Crystal Palace last week, but they completely collapsed after the break. Liverpool kind of did the opposite against Arsenal, making such a poor start before fighting back. I really don't understand why it took the (Granit) Xhaka incident to fire them up and get them playing with the right intensity."

The 1994-95 Premier League winner continued:

"Jurgen Klopp's side have struggled on the road this season, particularly against teams in the bottom half of the table, but you have to consider what damage that heavy Palace defeat has done to Leeds' confidence at Elland Road. They need to show they are not as fragile as they appear."

He continued:

"Liverpool's defence and midfield has been a long way below their best this season, but their attack has still been a handful - so surely Leeds won't keep them out. Equally, you just don't know what you are going to get from the Reds defensively at the moment - I don't see them keeping a clean sheet either, even against a team who seem to waste a lot of chances."

Klopp's troops have won just three of their 15 away games in the league this term, while Leeds have won five, drawn five and lost five of their 15 home games.

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Leeds United stunned Liverpool earlier this season

Leeds United picked up a shock win at Anfield when they locked horns with Liverpool earlier this season.

The two teams met in the Premier League in October last year. Rodrigo gave Leeds, then managed by Jesse Marsch, the lead in the fourth minute. However, Mohamed Salah brought the Reds level just ten minutes later.

Leeds held on from there on as Liverpool went on the hunt for a second goal, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier making nine saves. However, it was the visitors who had the last laugh, as Crysencio Summerville scored in the last minute of regulation time to hand them a 2-1 win.