Liverpool’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wolves will officially take place on Friday March 6, with an 8pm kick-off under the Molineux lights.
Make no mistake, Liverpool’s pursuit of silverware is about to enter its most treacherous phase yet. While the mood around the AXA Training Centre has been one of quiet optimism following a strong start to the new year, the cold reality of the English football calendar has just bitten back.
The confirmation of the Reds’ FA Cup fifth-round trip to Wolves on Friday, March 6, has presented Arne Slot with a logistical headache. This is a problem he could have done without.
By the time the 8pm kick-off rolls around at Molineux, Liverpool will be facing a case of West Midlands déjà vu. They will have played at the same stadium on Tuesday March 3rd, just 70 hours earlier, in a vital Premier League clash. Furthermore, they look to secure Champions League football next season.
It is a turnaround that will push a squad bolstered by the heavy investment in the likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. It will push them to its absolute breaking point.
The TNT Sports factor: a primetime headache
The confirmation of the details has also clarified the viewing schedule for those not making the trek to the West Midlands. In a move that will surprise few, both instalments of the Molineux double-header have been selected for live broadcast by TNT Sports.
The Premier League meeting on Tuesday, March 3, will see the cameras roll for an 8.15pm kick-off. It’s a late-night slot that already promised a midnight return for the travelling Kop. However, the subsequent decision to move the FA Cup tie to the Friday night at 8pm has added a fresh layer of complication.
While the Friday night slot forced by the demands of television at least provides a precious extra 24 hours of recovery before the Champions League knockout stages resume the following week, it forces Slot to essentially set up camp in the Midlands.
The Molineux Double-Header
Slot’s side found Wolves a stubborn nut to crack but did so eventually 2-1 at Anfield back in December, with goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike. While the Midlanders currently look destined for the Championship next season, a night under the Molineux lights is rarely a straightforward affair.
This is the fourth time in a decade the two sides have been paired in the FA Cup, and Liverpool have often found the experience a miserable one. Despite a third-round replay win in 2023, the memories of exits at Molineux in 2019 and a shock Anfield defeat two years earlier still linger.
In total, the teams have met eight times in the competition; Liverpool have progressed only three times.
The Reds will travel for that first Tuesday league game carrying massive implications for their top four aspirations. They will then have barely enough time to return to Merseyside, recover, and head straight back down the M6 for the Friday night cup tie.
The defining month
But the Wolves double-header is just the opening act of a “month of madness” for the Reds. Once the West Midlands dust settles, the schedule refuses to relent
March will certainly be a test for a Liverpool side that is already suffering from injuries this season.
Liverpool’s March Fixtures
3rd March: Wolves – A (Premier League)
7th March: Wolves – A (FA Cup)
10/11th March: TBC – (Champions League R16 first-leg)
17/18th March: TBC – (Champions League R16 second-leg)
15th March: Spurs – H (Premier League)
21st March: Brighton – A (Premier League)
Make no mistake: Liverpool’s season won’t be won in March, but it could very easily be lost
