Liverpool fans’ attentions may already be turning towards the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield on Thursday, but as Jurgen Klopp has insisted since his arrival on Merseyside – the next game is the most important one.
The top four is all but gone as far as the Reds are concerned, but there are still 24 points up for grabs, and a strong end to the league campaign would breed confidence throughout the squad.
There is also the possibility that Liverpool will need to finish in the top six or seven (depending on who wins the FA Cup and where Manchester City finish) in order to qualify for next season’s Europa League.
Whether the Reds actually want to be in that competition is another matter, but the evidence is there from this season that it can actually help bring some of the fringe players into action, and would lead to a Champions League place next term should Liverpool win it.
Here’s the XI that I expect Jurgen Klopp to field against Stoke City:
