Liverpool Face Premier League Fixture Challenge That Could Be Costly Against Arsenal and Manchester City
Liverpool’s schedule for the Champions League league phase in the 2024/25 season has been finalized.
The Reds face a daunting challenge with a back-to-back set of matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City at the end of November.
These encounters are followed by away games against Newcastle United and Everton, marking a critical 10-day period that could be a key moment in Arne Slot’s inaugural season at Anfield.
October also presents a tough stretch for Liverpool. They will travel to face RB Leipzig on Wednesday, October 23, in between hosting Chelsea at Anfield and visiting Arsenal, making it a particularly demanding period in their schedule.
In an interesting turn of events, Liverpool will also face Aston Villa, England’s fourth and final representative in this season’s Champions League, following their midweek European fixtures.
With hopes of challenging Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League title race, the matches between these teams take on extra significance. Every small advantage could be crucial in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive campaign.
Liverpool find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their rivals when it comes to their upcoming fixture schedule.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City have been granted an additional day’s rest and preparation before facing Liverpool. Their midweek Champions League matches are scheduled for the Tuesday before their encounters with the Reds, while Liverpool’s opponents, Arne Slot’s men, play on Wednesday.
Additionally, Arsenal and Manchester City have easier fixtures leading up to their matches with Liverpool.
The Reds are set to face their two strongest opponents from pot one before taking on Arsenal (Sunday, 27 October) and Manchester City (Saturday, 30 November).
This includes a challenging trip to RB Leipzig (Wednesday, 23 October) and a home match against Real Madrid (Wednesday, 27 November).
In contrast, Arsenal will host Shakhtar Donetsk from pot two, a team considered one of the more favorable draws, while Manchester City will host Feyenoord from pot three.
Even in preparation for their match against Aston Villa, Liverpool faces a tougher situation. Although they have an extra day’s rest and preparation ahead of their meeting at Anfield on Saturday, 9 November, the overall schedule has not been kind to them.
The Reds are set to play at home on Tuesday, November 5th. However, they face a formidable challenge against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, which is considered the strongest team in pot two, according to UEFA coefficients.
On the other hand, Aston Villa have a more favourable draw as they prepare to face Club Brugge from pot two, though they will have to travel to Belgium.
It may come as a bit of a surprise if Aston Villa once again competes for a top-four finish this season. Yet, this scheduling has added extra obstacles for Liverpool as they aim to contend for the Premier League title.
Liverpool ended last season in third place, having failed to secure victories against either Arsenal or Manchester City in the Premier League. The importance of such encounters will not be lost on the Reds as they know how crucial these matchups can be.
While all teams will face similar fixture congestion, Liverpool will be hoping that these small margins don’t become decisive when they next compete against their title rivals.
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