Michael Owen states his prediction for Sunderland v Liverpool

Liverpool are now in second place in the Premier League table and six points behind leaders Chelsea as they look to close the gap on the west London side.

Antonio Conte continued the blazing start to his Premier League career, completing his first half-season in charge of Chelsea with a 13th win on the bounce.

A top billing clash between the teams who sit 2nd and 3rd in the Premier League sees us out of 2016. The Reds are facing a serious uphill climb, sitting six points back, but are much more in the race than Pep Guardiola’s side. He has failed to score in only seven appearances in all competitions, and in only three of those did he complete 90 minutes. Working through the center of the picth, the Reds moved wide to the left, getting the ball to Adam Lallana deep down the flank.

“We have reacted well from the two finals we lost because that can affect teams”.

Meanwhile, facing his former club could be the flawless time to unleash a confident Sturridge as he rediscovers form and his goalscoring touch, allowing Origi a deserved rest after an impressive run.

Guardiola will renew his rivalry with Klopp from the pair’s days in the Bundesliga and the Spaniard is backing Liverpool to be right up there challenging.

Here is our preview pack, which will be filled with the team news, quotes from both managers, our predictions, key Opta statistics and details of the Sky Bet odds to help you with your bets and Fantasy Football decisions.

Chelsea’s 34th-minute opener came when Cesc Fabregas’ corner was met by Cahill, who rose highest to head into the net. Willian then scored twice in eight minutes in the second half, on either side of Peter Crouch tapping in for his first Stoke goal since May 2015.

The stakes are very high, as both teams are chasing up to current Premier League title leaders Chelsea – so Klopp can not imagine why no one would miss this match. They’ve scored 16 times (including against Sunderland) since then, so it really hasn’t affected their potency in front of goal.

Once again Chelsea retaliated, going ahead for a third time when Fabregas fed Willian to emphatically finish at the near post.

Chelsea wasn’t done yet.

That positive atmosphere is both the symptom and cause of Chelsea’s fantastic run, and the reason why Costa says their efforts are being rewarded.

“My view, and it always has been, is to have a game plan, try and effect the opposition and see where that takes us”.

The manager also shot down speculation that Liverpool were interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, describing media reports that the club were contemplating a January bid as “nonsense”. If this game is any indication, he’s found his groove again.

Chelsea face high-flying Tottenham on Wednesday in a busy Premier League schedule. ‘Tottenham are a good team and last season they could have won the title and this season they have a team stronger than the past season’.

United extended its streak to five games on the trot following a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.

“We are much better than last season”, the boss continued. “It will be played with a little more strength but there’s no problem there”.

Sergio Aguero returns to lead the line for Manchester City’s trip to title rivals Liverpool.

Chelsea cruised into their 13th victory in a row equaling Arsenal’s record from 2002/2003 and taking the Blues nine points clear on top of the table.