Liverpool fixtures: 5 crunch games that could decide Premier League title

Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Leicester on Wednesday evening saw Jurgen Klopp’s side show some mercy to the chasing pack in the Premier League.

The current table-toppers stuttered when given the opportunity to capitalise on Manchester City’s midweek defeat to Newcastle United as some of the pressure of closing in on a first league title in 29 years began to show.

Between now and the end of the campaign there are plenty of twists and turns lying in wait.

Here are five fixtures to watch out for in Liverpool’s title run-in:

Manchester United (away)

Sunday 24 February

There’s only one thing that Manchester United fans would savour more than winning the league themselves, and that would be stopping Liverpool from doing so. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival at Old Trafford has ushered in fresh ideas, positivity and confidence, three things that will make the Red Devils a far different proposition to the side that were defeated 3-1 at Anfield back in mid-December.

That rather embarrassing defeat at the hands of one of their biggest rivals was the beginning of the end for Jose Mourinho, meaning that in a roundabout way Liverpool perhaps did United a favour, given how drastically things have changed for the better since.

Save for a 2-2 draw with Burnley in the Premier League, Solskjaer’s start as boss has been terrific and players previously devoid of confidence are suddenly playing with heart. An ‘upset’ is certainly likely.

Everton (away)

Sunday 3 March

Just as United fans would love to derail Liverpool’s push for a league title, local rivals Everton would take similar pleasure in doing the same. Although things haven’t been going according to plan under Marco Silva this season, with performances lurching from the impressive to the desperately poor, there is no doubt the Toffees will turn up with a plucky performance on Merseyside’s derby day. It is the basal desire of their fanbase to put in a passionate showing in such a game.

Everton’s home form has been reasonable in the Premier League this campaign, with only West Ham, Spurs and Leicester managing to take home all three points from Goodison Park. The hosts carry plenty of threat in the likes of Richarlison, Ademola Lookman, Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who are all more than capable of making the most of how open Liverpool can sometimes leave themselves at the back. Passions could flare and the home crowd will unquestionably produce an intimidating atmosphere for the away side to deal with.

Tottenham Hotspur (home)

Sunday 31 March

Only seven points separate these two sides in the table. After defeat in the League Cup and FA Cup, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have only got the Premier League and Champions League to aim for, making this fixture potentially the only occasion that they can try and cut their deficit in the title race to a more manageable figure. Despite their coach insisting that top four is the aim, Spurs will undoubtedly be buoyed by the return of both Dele Alli and Harry Kane by the time this fixture rolls around.

Kane and Alli are predicted to be back in the first-team mix by mid-March, which will be a welcome boost for a Spurs side that have struggled for consistency of late. Armed with their best players, Tottenham will no doubt be set on proving that had they been fully fit for the entire campaign, they could have challenged for the title. Beating Liverpool, the current favourites for silverware, would be a good way of setting down a marker for next season and proving that very point. Even if it doesn’t have a huge impact on the complexion of their own campaign, Spurs should have a score to settle.

Cardiff City (away)

Saturday 20 April

Cardiff may be sat in the relegation zone, but they certainly won’t be going down without a fight. Neil Warnock’s side may have struggled for goals this season, but they show a lot of resilience and a strong, united mentality – especially when playing at home. Capable of beating the teams around them, in the games that really matter, the Bluebirds have already shown that they can turn up for big occasions.

As the season begins peter out in April, there won’t be too many further opportunities for Cardiff to pick up points that could save them from the Championship. The hosts have already taken vital wins against the likes of Fulham, Brighton, Wolves and Southampton on their own patch, and desperation alone may mean that Liverpool walk into a banana skin situation where both teams need three points for very contrasting reasons.

Newcastle (away)

Saturday 4 May

Rafa Benitez has been hailed as a hero by Liverpool supporters after Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, which gave the Reds an opportunity they squandered to extend their lead over the second-placed Citizens to a potential seven points. He could well brand himself a villain should the Spaniard help to mastermind a similarly impressive result at St James’ Park. Liverpool fans will hope that the Magpies are a long way clear of the Premier League relegation battle before May comes around.

Newcastle have only lost by one-goal margins at home against the likes of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal this campaign, which should promise Klopp’s side a tough test in their final away game of the season. Benitez may quietly hope that the title is already decided by that point. If not, he will take a little less pleasure from trying to snare what will be a tricky three points. If the Spaniard’s January signings bed in quickly, Newcastle could also have some additional power with which to test the Reds’ resolve.