Apart from the shock defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup, Liverpool's journey in the remaining three arenas has been very smooth. They have reached the League Cup final and are preparing to face Newcastle. In the Premier League, The Kop are still firmly at the top of the table. And in the Champions League, they have gone straight to the round of 16 as group winners after the qualifying round.
But the real test of intensity is only now. Liverpool face Everton in midweek, one of five Premier League games in 15 days. The frequency of the games will increase as Liverpool progress further in the Champions League.
The odd thing about Liverpool’s schedule is the frequency of their Premier League games. They will have six games in February, one in March and five in April. One reason for this is that the Premier League was disrupted by Storm Darragh in December 2024. In the upcoming fixtures, Liverpool will play the League Cup final on March 16.
The FA have stressed that the FA Cup fifth round and quarter-final fixtures will be played on non-Premier League weekends, with the next FIFA Days coming at the end of March, just as the Champions League is in full swing.
Another oddity in Liverpool’s schedule is the number of home and away games. They face Man City at the Etihad on February 23. At that time, Liverpool had played 15 of their 19 away games but only 12 of their 19 home games. So in their final 11 Premier League games, the Reds will play seven home games and four away games.
This seemingly favourable fixture list will give some Liverpool fans confidence. However, the toughest stretch is just ahead. Liverpool have five Premier League games in 15 days, with a high margin of error. If the Reds get through this period with a perfect record, Arsenal should probably throw in the towel and focus on the Champions League. The Gunners have only three games in this period, so they will be trying their best while hoping the Reds stumble.
Liverpool's next 5 matches in 15 days include 3 very challenging matches: Man City (A), Aston Villa (A) and Newcastle (H). Liverpool will have to be very careful because if they lose 2/3 of these matches, the possibility of being pressured by Arsenal will become increasingly clear. The unusual thing for Liverpool - a team competing for the Premier League title - is that they will have to play a 15-day period with 5 matches but then only 1 match in 6 weeks.
March is usually a busy month for teams still competing in all four competitions. However, Liverpool's surprise fourth-round exit from the FA Cup means they will only play four games in three remaining competitions in March. The match against Southampton on 8 March will be sandwiched between the two knockout ties in the last 16 of the Champions League. This will be followed by the League Cup final against Newcastle.
If Liverpool overcome this stormy period, then Arne Slot can confidently aim for a major double of Premier League and Champions League titles, something no coach has ever achieved in the first season in the Premier League era.
