Manchester United and Man City threat looms as Liverpool await consequences of nightmare eight days

All eyes now flip to Anfield on January 17. From a Liverpool perspective, not less than.

The Reds have the small matter of an FA Cup journey to Aston Villa on Friday night time to barter first, however there’s little doubt {that a} assembly with Manchester United later this month is the massive story.

After carelessly tossing away management of the Premier League title race with three deeply dispiriting results during the last 9 days, the champions have allowed others again into it.

And maybe it sums up the chaotic nature of this season that it’s at present a beforehand much-maligned United who’re most primed to pounce.

Visits from one of many oldest enemies is all the time regarded as ‘the’ fixture for a lot of of Liverpool‘s worldwide fanbase, however this one will carry several sprinklings of further spice to it.

If the leaders’ collective Premier League focus is pointing at that sport in lower than a fortnight, for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his fees, it’s completely different.

For a visiting United, their gaze is mounted firmly on subsequent Tuesday after they journey to Burnley.

Keep away from defeat and they’re going to go above Liverpool on the summit and provides themselves an enormous enhance within the course of forward of that sport at Anfield.

Of their subsequent 4 fixtures, Liverpool is definitely United’s hardest.

That’s prone to be a common reality for any workforce within the division heading to L4, the place the Reds stay unbeaten in 67 Premier League video games.

However given United have a gentle-looking couple of weeks towards struggling sides like Fulham and Sheffield United to come back, their journey down the M62 maybe takes on better element contained in the evaluation division at Previous Trafford.

However Liverpool’s risk from Manchester is two-fold, with an apparently rejuvenated Metropolis as soon as extra again within the hunt.

Their 3-1 demolition of Chelsea on Sunday was as spectacular because it was ominous for a Klopp workforce who’ve grow to be accustomed to battling it out on the forefront of the English sport with them.

Metropolis’s personal conferences with Brighton, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Sheffield United earlier than the tip of the month imply the stress is prone to be saved on the champions.

Shock package deal Aston Villa could supply a favour on the Etihad, however Liverpool might be cautious of getting to depend on anybody however themselves between now and Might.

Given United and Metropolis’s European exertions on the tail finish of final season, they’re nonetheless in possession of video games in hand on Klopp’s facet.

Most factors throughout and the Reds will path each by three factors – a place they haven’t discovered themselves in correctly for a very long time.

Fairly how damaging this small interval of the marketing campaign has been for the Reds stays to be seen long run.

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The actual fact Klopp’s males may very well be so badly blown off track by a poor eight days is indicative of how wild this marketing campaign has been and can seemingly stay, nevertheless.

However as spluttering as Liverpool have been of late – and even these with probably the most rouge-tinted of spectacles cannot deny they’ve been – there’s hope.

Over the following 5 weeks, they’ve an opportunity to take factors off each Metropolis and United at house.

The added bit of excellent information for Reds followers is that whereas performances have dipped nicely under the required customary towards the lesser heralded this time period, Liverpool have turned up when the highlight is shining brightly.

That’s precisely what they are going to want when United roll into city.