The 5 games Liverpool must win to lift the 2023-24 Premier League title
The final three months of the Premier League season have arrived with Liverpool narrowly ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table – but which of their remaining fixtures look like defining their chances of silverware?
Jurgen Klopp’s side have performed above expectations throughout the campaign, after only finishing fifth in 2022-23, and now have the added motivation of marking their inspirational manager’s final year at the club with major silverware.
We’ve identified five matches that may define whether the Reds win the Premier League title for the first time since 2019-20.
10th March – Manchester City (H)
The big one.
City don’t have the best record at Anfield – they’ve only won once at Liverpool since May 2003 – and face Arsenal shortly afterwards. Lose here and the reigning champions will relinquish their status as title favourites.
Liverpool earned a 1-1 draw at the Etihad in November and, given the early scheduling of the fixture and the sheer tightness of the three-way race for the title, we wouldn’t be surprised if this also ended in a draw.
7th April – Manchester United (A)
Still the biggest fixture in English football (just about), Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford in early April just weeks after facing the same opponents in the same stadium in their FA Cup quarter-final.
United have endured another inconsistent season and face the tough task of displacing Tottenham and Aston Villa to ensure Champions League qualification.
But they did beat Liverpool in the corresponding fixture last season and held the Reds to a goalless draw in February 2022 – two dropped points that cost Klopp’s team dear in that season’s title race.
Given the differing needs of the two sides, this might be the dullest of draws or one of those jaw-dropping scorelines.
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4th May – Tottenham (H)
Two years ago, Spurs came to Anfield and everybody expected them to receive a generational paddling. Their 1-1 draw went a long way to ensuring Antonio Conte’s men reached the Champions League and Liverpool lost the title to City.
With Ange Postecoglou seemingly wedded to his high-risk style of play, Liverpool are fully capable of boosting their goal difference when Spurs return to Anfield at the beginning of May.
But Tottenham are likely to also need the points to finish in the top four and, with Son Heung-min and James Maddison, possess players that can hurt any side on their day.
Liverpool will be wanting revenge for their controversial defeat against Spurs last September, but that may not prove to be straightforward.
11th May – Aston Villa (A)
Tricky one, this.
A trip to Villa Park, on paper, looks like one of the toughest assignments still to be navigated by Klopp’s team. But the scheduling of this fixture in mid-May complicates things.
Villa are in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but the visit of Liverpool comes days after the semi-final second leg of the Europa Conference League.
Unai Emery’s squad are hot favourites to win that competition and are in a position to turn their noses up at silverware having gone trophyless since 1996.
Liverpool themselves might have just played in the Europa League semis before travelling to England’s second city. Klopp’s squad management has been excellent this season and may need to be again here.
These are the games that Liverpool need to win.
TBC – Everton (A)
Originally scheduled for mid-March, the season’s second Merseyside derby has been moved due to Liverpool reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The game is rumoured to be re-arranged to the final week of the season, with Everton likely to be desperate for points as they look to avoid relegation.
And, even if the Toffees are mathematically safe by then, the opportunity to extinguish Liverpool’s title hopes at Goodison Park would be too irresistible to pass up.
Expect a full-blooded encounter and Peter Drury to spontaneously combust in the commentary box.
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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to get 20+ Premier League assists for Liverpool?