Liverpool are set to enter a vital part of the season, with Jürgen Klopp needing to sort several things out despite the transfer arrival of Cody Gakpo from PSV.
After not playing for so long, having two Liverpool matches in the space of four days — with Brentford next after a fortunate 2-1 win over Leicester on Friday — feels somewhat strange.
Jürgen Klopp’s side are now four points off the top four places (ahead of Tottenham playing Aston Villa later today) and only eight behind Manchester City in second.
But what do they need in order to make sure they qualify for the Champions League? The month of January is going to be hugely significant for a variety of reasons.
The win against Leicester was a lucky one, though Klopp should take heart from the fact that earlier in the season, his side would probably have lost the match.
Darwin Núñez caused enough chaos to force Wout Faes into an error or two but Liverpool cannot afford to play as they did at Anfield, particularly in the first half, too many more times.
A better team than Leicester would have punished them and Brentford, away from home, is one of those games that they will need to play well in to stand a chance.
Midfield signing
Cody Gakpo is through the door but he alone is not enough to make sure the top four is secured and Liverpool give themselves the best chance of winning one of the other competitions they remain involved in.
Their midfield still looks light and overplaying Thiago Alcântara, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho is not a good idea. Neither is relying on Naby Keïta to stay fit or putting unnecessary pressure on Stefan Bajčetić.
Liverpool can get into the top four without making a signing, but it would be difficult. With Keïta, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of contract at the end of the season, they are going to need one in the summer anyway, so accelerating those plans to this month would be sensible. If the right player is a possibility, they surely will.
Start a run
Liverpool could play five times in January, which is not a huge workload in the current climate. After Brentford, they can book their fifth game of the month by beating Wolves in the FA Cup.
Do that, and they will be on the way to another domestic cup run potentially, which given the league title looks beyond them, could be vital for making this season a memorable one.
Brighton and Chelsea are their other two league fixtures. Brighton away is a tough game but win that one and then beat their top four rivals at Anfield and Liverpool will be in an even better position to kick on than they are now.
Lose them and the Champions League spots will start to look far away again. Finishing inside the top four is vital for what they can do in the summer and shaping what the future, including next season and beyond, looks like — January, not just because of the need for another transfer, will be pivotal in determining the outcome of the entire campaign.
Source: liverpool.com
