Liverpool title hopes might be over after first eight video games of latest season

Liverpool’s Premier League fixture checklist has supplied Jurgen Klopp a reminder of one of many greatest points he should handle earlier than subsequent season. The Reds have been the second-best group within the Premier League away from house in 2021-22, selecting up 43 factors from an accessible 57.

But final time period, Liverpool’s away kind deteriorated considerably. They gained simply six of 19 matches on the street and misplaced eight, conceding nearly double the quantity of targets they did at Anfield. And their away kind was one of many important causes Klopp’s prices dropped out of the Champions League into the Europa League.

Klopp admitted after a defeat away at Bournemouth, who Liverpool beat 9-0 at house, in March: “In the home games we are in the top four but in the away games we are not even in Europe, there is always a reason and our away results is for sure [the reason].

“It was a big strength for us in the last year, it made a real difference, but that is how it is.” And the German tactician will probably be cautious that such away-day issues can not proceed into 2023-24, particularly now Liverpool’s fixtures have revealed a tough begin to the yr.

In the primary eight matches of the season, between the opening day on August thirteenth and mid-October, Liverpool tackle Chelsea, Newcastle, Wolves, Tottenham and Brighton away from Anfield. Visits to top-flight new boys Luton Town and champions Manchester City then await in November.

Liverpool gained two (Newcastle and Spurs), drew one (Chelsea) and misplaced three (Wolves, Brighton, Man City) of the corresponding video games final season. And those self same outcomes – no matter what occurs at Luton’s Kenilworth Road – would imply a median of 1.16 factors per away sport.

Quite merely, that might see the Reds’ title aspirations ended very prematurely. City misplaced 5 video games all through everything of final season and simply three the yr earlier than – house or away. The margin for error, as Liverpool know from earlier title races, is extraordinarily small.

With Klopp having made Liverpool one of many hardest groups to beat in world soccer on house floor, fixing the away kind and at the very least changing into more durable to beat would go an extended strategy to securing a top-four return. But it’s ambitions of re-entering the title race with which they may begin the season.

And to get again within the combine, making the return journeys happier for his or her away supporters than final season is a key goal. A number of extra signings could also be required to make that the case.

Liverpool’s first 4 months of 2023-24 Premier League season

August

thirteenth: Chelsea (a)
nineteenth: Bournemouth (h)
twenty sixth: Newcastle United (a)

September

2nd: Aston Villa (h)
sixteenth: Wolves (a)
twenty third: West Ham United (h)
thirtieth: Tottenham Hotspur (a)

October

seventh: Brighton (a)
21nd: Everton (h)
twenty eighth: Nottingham Forest (h)

November

4th: Luton Town (a)
eleventh: Brentford (h)
twenty fifth: Manchester City (a)

Fixture dates topic to alter