Liverpool hunt for Europe is well and truly on, and after a gritty 1-0 victory on Wednesday night in the North East, Liverpool find themselves breathing down the necks of the two teams they’ve been chasing all winter.
Arne Slot’s men didn’t just break a Stadium of Light hoodoo they reignited a season that was starting to look a little too precarious for comfort.
No other Premier League team had left Sunderland with three points this term, but Virgil van Dijk’s decisive contribution has hauled the Reds back into the thick of could be a top-five race that feels destined to go the distance.
With Manchester United and Chelsea both stuttering to draws 24 hours earlier, the door was left ajar. Liverpool didn’t just walk through it they kicked it down.
Here is how the landscape looks for the Reds as we head into a pivotal spring.
The Slot machine finds it’s gear
Arne Slot knows his side still has levels to reach, but the “mentality monsters” tag is starting to stick to this new-look squad.
The boss was quick to point out the defensive shifts put in by Ibou Konate against Brian Brobbey, and the selfless dirty work from Florian Wirtz. That grit is exactly what’s required when you’re two points off Chelsea and three behind United with the finish line in sight.
While the Reds still trail, the fixture list suggests the momentum is about to shift. If Slot wants that Champions League anthem at Anfield next season, the next five games represent the perfect platform to seize it.
Liverpool’s path: no more excuses
On paper, Liverpool’s next run of games looks like a 15-point maximum. But as we know with this team lately, “on paper” rarely accounts for the chaos. After a weekend detour to Brighton in the FA Cup, the focus returns to the bread and butter of the league.
First up is a trip to manager-less Nottingham Forest after 0-0 draw against Wolves. The Reds still owe them one for that dismal 3-0 thumping at Anfield back in November. Following that, two relegation-threatened sides in West Ham and Wolves offer a chance to build real winning momentum.
Then things get interesting. A struggling, managerless Tottenham side visits L4 a team somehow flirting with the drop before a return trip to Brighton. It’s a favourable run, but Liverpool must stop playing down to the level of their opposition if they want to leapfrog the pack.
Liverpool’s next five:
- Nottingham Forest (A)
- West Ham (H)
- Wolves (A)
- Tottenham (H)
- Brighton (A)
Current Standing: 6th (42 pts) | Next Five Form Target: 13–15 pts
Liverpool’s home form at Anfield has been the bedrock of their season (7-3-3), but it’s the away days that will decide Arne Slot’s fate. The upcoming trip to Nottingham Forest is personal the Reds were embarrassed 3-0 at Anfield by this side earlier in the campaign.
On paper, the middle run against West Ham (H) and Wolves (A) should be a six-point haul, especially given Wolves dismal record this season and on the brink of relegation to the Championship. The real test comes at the end of this block: Tottenham (H) and Brighton (A).
While Spurs continue to spiral toward the trapdoor, the Reds will head to the south coast with the psychological edge over Brighton.
It was only December when Anfield witnessed Mohamed Salah mark his return with a history-making cameo off the bench, steering Liverpool to a comfortable 2-0 victory.
On a night that belonged to the Egyptian King’s milestone, it was Hugo Ekitike who provided the finishing touch, bagging a brace to put the Seagulls to the sword and prove that Slot’s attack has more than enough bite to handle the business end of the season.
If Slot manages the rotation during the Champions League knockout weeks, 13 points is the minimum requirement here. Anything less and they’re praying for favours elsewhere.
United and Chelsea: the looming stumble?
Michael Carrick has undoubtedly steadied the ship at Old Trafford, but a midweek 1-1 draw with West Ham at the London Stadium suggests the cracks aren’t entirely filled.
Michael Carrick has turned Old Trafford back into a fortress (8-3-2), but their traveling record (4-6-3) remains the achilles heel. United’s upcoming run is significantly more difficult than their North West arch rivals Liverpool.
They face an Everton side at the Hill Dickinson Stadium that has already beaten them at the Theatre of Dreams this season.
Follow that with a trip to a hostile St. James Park to face Newcastle and a home clash with high-flying Aston Villa, and you can see where the points might drop. United have shown a tendency to draw games they should win (9 draws so far), which could be their undoing.
Current Standing: 4th (45 pts) | Next Five Form Target: 8–10 pts
Man Utd’s next five:
- Everton (A)
- Crystal Palace (H)
- Newcastle (A)
- Aston Villa (H)
- Bournemouth (A)
United’s schedule is a tough one on paper. Liverpool could easily find themselves level with or ahead of the Red Devils by the time the March international break rolls around.
Down at Stamford Bridge, Liam Rosenior has inherited a squad with plenty of talent but a clear lack of consistency after their last Premier League outing ended in a 2-2 draw against Leeds United.
While they should handle Burnley, a trip to face the league-leader Arsenal looms large. To make matters worse for the Blues, they face the exact same “double-trouble” as United in March, taking on both Newcastle and Villa.
Chelsea’s next five:
- Burnley (H)
- Arsenal (A)
- Aston Villa (A)
- Newcastle (H)
- Everton (A)
Current Standing: 5th (44 pts) | Next Five Form Target: 7–9 pts
With a manager still finding his feet and Champions League distractions, Chelsea look the most likely to cough up their advantage.
| Team | Home Games | Away Games | Projected Points |
| Liverpool | West Ham, Spurs | Forest, Wolves, Brighton | 13 |
| Man Utd | Palace, Villa | Everton, Newcastle, B’mouth | 9 |
| Chelsea | Burnley, Newcastle | Arsenal, Villa, Everton | 8 |
Heavy legs and midweek lights
While United and Chelsea navigate a brutal March schedule featuring the likes of Arsenal, Villa, and Newcastle, the Reds have a sequence of games against the league’s strugglers.
Don’t forget the added weight of European nights though. Both Liverpool and Chelsea have two-legged Champions League Last 16 ties to navigate in March, alongside potential FA Cup fifth Round commitments.
The squad depth will be pushed to the limit. Slot’s insistence on defensive solidity and collective work rate at Sunderland suggests he knows exactly what’s coming.
The gap is closing, the rivals are wobbling, and Liverpool finally have the scent of Champions League football for next season in their sights.
