Liverpool's next four games hold key to title race before Man City visit Anfield

07 February 2024 , 07:30

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Liverpool are two points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League ace, but City have a game in hand (Image: Getty Images)

As thoughts start to turn to a potential titanic tussle in the title race between Liverpool and Manchester City, the Reds can’t take their eyes off the games to come before then.

Confidence will be high that Jurgen Klopp’s men will get back to winning ways following their defeat by Arsenal as they welcome Burnley to Anfield this weekend. Rightly so given the opposition are relegation battlers and the Reds haven’t lost on their own patch against domestic opponents since a 2-1 defeat by Leeds in October 2022.

The title is still in their own hands even if some critics were quick to start asking if it was starting to slip away because of, erm, just their second league loss of the campaign. Of course, City can go top at the weekend before Liverpool and Arsenal play as they face Everton in their lunchtime kick off. Their game in hand means they are front runners.

But the fact the Reds welcome Pep Guardiola’s men to their own fortress on March 10 means that Liverpool have control over it too. Now the job is to get to that City game with four wins from four.

Klopp said last week before the trip to the Emirates that Liverpool needed to win every game in the league to ensure the title. He was being, let’s say, a little hyperbolic. There will be thrills and spills along the way.

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Klopp's side face four huge Premier League matches before entertaining Man City (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)

It’s unlikely City, Liverpool and Arsenal will be perfect from now until May 19. The fact that Liverpool face City and Arsenal take on Guardiola’s side means there will be points lost for some. But the challenge now for the Reds is to ensure they don’t slip up ahead of that City game so that a win at Anfield really puts them in pole position.

Burnley visit this weekend and, given their form, should be a chance to prove that the Arsenal game was just a bad day at the office for the Reds. But then there’s a tricky trip to Brentford. The Bees beat the Reds on their own patch last season in one of the worst displays by Klopp’s side in a poor campaign. This is a refreshed outfit of course, but it still won’t be an easy game.

Liverpool face Burnley, Brentford, Luton and Nottingham Forest before welcoming Man City to Anfield (PA)

Luton, who almost beat Klopp’s side earlier in the campaign, then visit Anfield in a rearranged game which, given the form of Rob Edwards’ side, will present a challenge. Just ask Newcastle. Then Forest away. A side struggling at the bottom end of the table but one which has taken points from Newcastle, Aston Villa and Manchester United under new boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Add in a League Cup final against Chelsea and a FA Cup fifth round tie to make it quite a busy few weeks, even with their Europa League campaign not restarting until March.

Of course, dropped points in one or two of the games wouldn’t be catastrophic for Liverpool’s hopes of finishing Klopp’s reign with league title No 20. But they will want to go into that City game in formidable form with four wins. The title race feels like it is heading into a crucial period.

Chris McKenna