"I will go with a surprise" - Dimitar Berbatov predicts scoreline of Crystal Palace vs Liverpool

Former Manchester United striker Dimitav Berbatov has made a bold prediction for the Premier League Saturday game between Crystal Palace and Liverpool tthis weekend.

Liverpool travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday, December 9 to take on Crystal Palace in the opring game of the 16th gameweek. Jurgen Klopp's side were not at their absolute best but managed a 2-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United in midweek.

Crystal Palace, on the contrary, have endured a difficult campaign, as they find themselves 14th in the table. They lost 2-0 to Bournemouth in midweek as Hodgson's future looks up in the air.

However, Berbatov has tipped Liverpool to salvage a draw against the Eagles. He said that the Reds struggled against Sheffield in an ugly win. The former Manchester United attacker said, as quoted by Metro:

"Liverpool weren’t incredible against Sheffield United but they got that job done. That’s what you need. I remember when the games were coming thick and fast, not every game will be great. Some games will be s**t to watch and the team will play bad. You might be thinking ‘oh my god.’

"But that’s how it is. Sometimes you get tired. Sometimes it’s more mental tiredness as opposed to physical tiredness, then your reactions are slow. This is when you need to win 1-0, an ugly win. I don’t care, just get the points, go home and rest. Try to repeat it."

Berbatov added that Hodgson will be under a lot of pressure and could come up with what it takes to stop his former club:

"Liverpool got the job done against Sheffield United, as you would expect. Crystal Palace, as I’ve said before, can surprise you on their day. That’s for sure. Roy Hodgson has been there and done that. You watch him and think ‘f*****g hell, respect man.’

"He’s still going strong, and I think the players like him. The players like him being their coach. I think they play for him, and when he’s under pressure, they will rally behind him and try to get the best out of the team and get points. I will go with a surprise and say a draw.

Berbatov's prediction: 1-1

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Les Ferdinand makes Liverpool claim as he names his favourites to win the PL this season

Former England attacker-turned-television-pundit Les Ferdinand has named Liverpool as his favourite for the Premier League title this season. The Reds are second in the table, two point behind Arsenal.

Ferdinand has said that the Reds' season has gone down the radar despite their impressive showings. He insisted that despite Jurgen Klopp's side are in their rebuilding phase, they should be considered as a title challenger.

On Amazon Prime Sport, the former Tottenham Hotspur attacked said, as quoted by TBR Football:

"The top three or four teams in the league at the moment. The team I like at the moment is Liverpool. Nobody is talking too much about them. Everyone was saying about next year and building a team for it, but they are coming up on the rails, getting result after result, scoring goals, winning games.

"They are where they want to be, but nobody is talking about them at the moment and I think they will like that."

The Reds have been impressive in every department this season. They boast the second-most potent attack in the league and the joint-most solid defence, scoring 34 goals in 15 games and conceding 14.