Upcoming Games to Provide ‘Proper Test’ for Liverpool

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph has stated that Liverpool’s forthcoming series of matches will reveal “how good they truly are.” This challenging schedule includes facing a team at the bottom of the league, a Champions League fixture, the reigning champions, an away game in the North East, and the Merseyside derby. Edwards remarked on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast, stating: “‘Liverpool’s worst two performances of the season have come after international breaks, but I don’t think many people would be backing Southampton on Sunday. Liverpool will still be too good for them, but what I am interested in is their next block of fixtures.'” He elaborated that following the Southampton match, Liverpool’s schedule features Real Madrid, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Everton. Edwards asserted that this sequence of games, which he described as “a proper test,” would ultimately determine their true capabilities. While acknowledging the team’s significant consistency and impressive performance, Edwards emphasized that for Liverpool to secure the title, they must navigate this period and emerge with their current lead intact. Adding to this perspective, former Liverpool goalkeeper David James commented: “‘Weirdly, the Nottingham Forest defeat has done Arne Slot a favour because if they were still unbeaten that pressure to remain unbeaten would be huge. They have points in the bank so are in the right place at the moment if things should go slightly wobbly.'”