Judging by the standards of the last two years, Liverpool’s 2020-21 campaign has been a little rocky. The season is still young, yet The Reds have already lost convincingly to Aston Villa and dropped points at Brighton. Considering Jurgen Klopp’s side only lost four times in the Premier League in 2018-19 and 2019-20, you might be a little apprehensive as a fan.
The injury scenario hasn’t made things any better as the squad is missing key players, including Virgil van Dijk. The idea of a red Christmas on Merseyside might appear extremely optimistic under these circumstances, but Liverpool continues to march on under their superstar German manager. Even more ominous for their rivals is the fact that the blip could be over, and here’s why.
Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita are set to join their teammates in today’s session at the @AXA Training Centre.#LIVWOL
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 4, 2020
Favourable Fixtures
If you put too much emphasis on the fixture list as a supporter, you can lose sight of the fact that your team has to play everyone twice throughout the season. Still, there’s no doubt that a helpful list of ties can help teams grind out results in bad periods and get through the other side, and Liverpool is no different. With so many injuries and a packed Christmas schedule, it would be tough for the boys to face their top six opponents back-to-back.
Thankfully for The Reds, the New Year’s run-up includes games against Fulham, Palace, West Brom and Newcastle, with Tottenham the only real tester. On the flip side, Spurs play Arsenal, Leicester and Wolves, and their title challenge could be dented before the 1st of January. That’s why the Boxing Day odds have Liverpool comfortably beating West Brom, and the overall betting has them as firm favourites for a second title in as many seasons.
Injury Return Dates
The injuries have been nothing short of terrible. However, every cloud has a silver lining, and for Liverpool, it’s the return of their best players during December. Everyone from captain Jordan Henderson to Naby Keita Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho and Joel Matip is set to grace the pitch again, strengthening the team in a busy period. The best news is that Trent Alexander-Arnold could be fit to face FC Midtjylland in the final Champions League group game, which is a massive boost.
With Trent, Liverpool is sharper and more dynamic, yet they also have the guile to pierce Premier League defences. The squad is without van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the foreseeable future, yet most of the spine will be available for tough fixtures in the New Year.
⚡️ SADIOOOOOOOO ⚡️
A magic Mane double against this weekend’s opponents 👌⚽️ <ahref=”https: t.co=”” 6grzjsu6ys”=””>pic.twitter.com/6GrZjsU6Ys</ahref=”https:>
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 3, 2020
The January Transfer window
What’s that in the distance? It’s the January transfer window, the time when teams get to dip into other sides’ squads to fill their bare larders. For Liverpool, it’s the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate the first 11 if the people who are expected to come back aren’t ready. There is already speculation about Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano and Ajax’s Perr Schuurs to sure up the back four, while the management should take care of the Gini Wijnaldum contract situation by offering him an extension.
All in all, the festive season appears to be a lot more welcoming than the last couple of months!
