“Can’t imagine…” – Paul Merson and Ian Wright issue the same prediction for Liverpool v Burnley

Paul Merson and Ian Wright have issued similar predictions for Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Burnley on Saturday.

The Reds have drawn all three of their top-flight matches so far in 2026 but will be fully expected to take all three points tomorrow against a Clarets side whose last league victory came against bottom club Wolves in October.

Mo Salah won’t be back in time for the game at Anfield as he and Egypt contest the Africa Cup of Nations third-place match against Nigeria, although Hugo Ekitike returned from injury with a goal in the 4-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley earlier this week.

What have Merson and Wright predicted for Liverpool v Burnley?

In his latest Premier League predictions column for Sportskeeda, Merson feels that Burnley have been playing better than their results would suggest, but has still forecast a straightforward 3-0 win for Liverpool.

He wrote: ‘Barring the game against Brighton [2-0 defeat], Burnley have not been well beaten, and they always work hard. I thought that loss to Brighton was their worst performance over the festive period. Having said that, I can’t imagine Burnley getting something from this game.’

Meanwhile, on this week’s episode of Stick to Football, the panelists offered their predictions for the match at Anfield, with Wright saying: “We’ll go three [3-0].”

Liverpool should prevail but can’t take Burnley for granted

Based on the teams’ respective form and league positions, Liverpool could hardly ask for a theoretically easier Premier League fixture than a home clash against 19th-placed Burnley, and nothing less than a win will suffice tomorrow.

If Manchester United lose the derby to City earlier in the day, the Reds could go six points clear of the Old Trafford outfit with victory over Scott Parker’s side, and the meeting of Chelsea and Brentford means that at least one of their close pursuers will definitely drop points on Saturday.

As Slot pointed out in his press conference this morning (via liverpoolfc.com), it took a stoppage-time penalty for his team to win the reverse fixture at Turf Moor in September, and it was only three weeks ago that we just about got over the line against bottom club Wolves at Anfield.

Those should serve as sufficient warnings that Liverpool can’t just rock up tomorrow and expect an easy ride, but if the correct mindset is brought onto the pitch, the champions’ quality should shine through and see them emerge with three points.

Saturday marks an ideal opportunity for the Reds to strengthen their position inside the top four depending on results elsewhere, but their focus must solely be on taking care of their own business and delivering a convincing and victorious performance.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Barnsley press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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