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Liverpool vs Sunderland Tips & Predictions - Premier League Summer Series Goals on the Cards

alex-waite
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Last updated: Thu 23 Jul 2026 14:00
Liverpool are missing several key players post-World Cup and are expected to field an unsettled side under new management for this Premier League Summer Series match. Sunderland, fresh from a 5-1 pre-season win, are in scoring form but also concede frequently. Both teams have a recent history of high-scoring games, with Liverpool seeing six consecutive BTTS results and Sunderland three in a row. The recommendation is to expect goals in Nashville, with bets on Over 2.5 goals and BTTS favored.
Alex Waite 4 hours ago
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  • Liverpool are missing several key players post-World Cup
  • Sunderland beat York 5-1 in their first pre-season friendly
  • More goals are expected in this Premier League Summer Series clash
Liverpool
Andoni Iraola's Liverpool have seen BTTS in 6 consecutive matches (Getty)

Liverpool vs Sunderland Preview


Liverpool will be without several key players in pre-season and are likely to field an unsettled side against Sunderland. The Black Cats produced a high-scoring clash in their opening pre-season friendly and more goals are anticipated in Nashville. 

6 BTTS Results in a Row for Liverpool


  • Liverpool have seen BTTS in 6 consecutive matches.
  • Sunderland have seen over 2.5 goals in their last 3 games.
  • Sunderland have seen BTTS in 3 consecutive games. 

H2H 


Liverpool have a 79-52 advantage against Sunderland, alongside 39 draws.

Liverpool Need Time to Settle Under Iraola


Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot as Liverpool manager in pre-season. The former Bournemouth boss will be tasked with improving the Reds’ fifth-placed Premier League finish from last season. 

The Merseyside club struggled defensively last season and conceded 53 league goals. It was the most amount of any side to finish in the Premier League’s top half.

Liverpool ended 2025/26 on a four-match winless run. Defeats against Man United 3-2 and Aston Villa 4-2 came either side of a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

The Reds ended their campaign with another 1-1 stalemate at home against Brentford. Curtis Jones scored first and Liverpool had 3.04 XG before Brentford levelled with 25 minutes left.

Sunderland Get Amongst the Goals


Sunderland impressed in their return to the Premier League in 2025/26. Regis Le Bris’ side finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League. 

The Wearside outfit finished in strong form and were undefeated in their final four games. Draws with Wolves 1-1 and Man United 0-0 were followed by a 3-1 win at Everton.

The Black Cats then beat Chelsea 2-1 at home to complete their 2025/26 season. Sunderland had 1.87 XG and Trai Hume and a Chelsea own goal secured the victory. 

Le Bris’ side started pre-season with a one-sided 5-1 triumph against York City on Saturday. Enzo Le Fee, Chris Rigg and Timur Tutierov scored in the first half and Tom Proctor struck in the 57th minute. 

Predicted Starting Lineups & Team News


Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Giorgi Mamardashvili; Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Jeremy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez; Dominik Szoboszlai, Trey Nyoni; Rio Ngumoha, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa; Jayden Danns

Defender Virgil van Dijk, goalkeeper Alisson, midfielder Florian Wirtz and attacker Cody Gakpo haven't travelled for the Premier League Summer Series. The players have an extended rest after the 2026 World Cup.

Striker Hugo Ekitike and defenders Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are ruled out due to injury.

Andoni Iraola explained that the trio aren’t ready for competitive action yet and said. “I think the closest one to returning is Leoni. 

“Conor and Hugo especially are way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out."

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Melker Ellborg; Nordi Mukiele, Luke O'Nien, Trai Hume, Reinildo Mandava; Alan Browne, Chris Rigg; Jocelin Ta Bi, Enzo Le Fee, Timur Tutierov; Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi

Defender Dan Ballard and winger Romaine Mundle are unavailable due to injury. 

Leo Hjelde came off injured against York and is doubtful for the Liverpool game. 

Le Bris confirmed the defender sustained a knee injury and said, “We didn’t want to take risks, so he felt a small pain and discomfort in his right knee.”

Verdict

Liverpool are unlikely to be at their best with several players out and the team needing time to adapt under Iraola. Sunderland are a decent team that scores and concedes a lot of goals and a high-scoring Premier League Summer Series game is expected.

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alex-waite
Alex Waite

Football Writer • 10+ Years Of Experience, Football Betting Analyst

Alex was born in London and studied at Swansea University in Wales. He used to work as a teacher in London but changed a few years ago to work as a full-time sports writer. Mostly enjoys watching and writing about football, cricket, golf, rugby and tennis.

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