by Arne Slot has made it clear to anyone who will listen that Liverpool haven’t been put to the test yet this season, but that will change when they return from the international break!
Hardly anyone could wish for a better start under a new head coach, with six wins from seven games in the Premier League, the Reds are at the top with the fewest goals conceded (two).
As things stand, Liverpool have only faced one team in the top 10 and they are responsible for the only early blemish on Slot’s record.
The difficulty of the game was not lost on the Dutchman, who recently said: “Everyone tells me that a top team in the Premier League is harder to beat than a bottom team, and we haven’t played one of them yet.”
Well, that’s about to change. According to Opta analyst, Liverpool’s next 10 league games are considered to be the toughest fixtures in the entire division, with an average opponent rating of 89.8 out of 100.
*Image by Opta analyst
They face Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Brighton (H), Aston Villa (H), Southampton (A), Man City (H), Newcastle (A), Everton (A), Fulham (H) and Tottenham (A) – an even split between home and away games.
Currently only Southampton are outside the top 10 in this run, with the rest occupying all positions between second and ninth.
This side of the November international break, Liverpool face the top four, with the next six set to kick off the hectic festive period.
Arsenal and Man City, on the other hand, have experienced their next 10-game series as the 10th and 16th toughest meetings in the entire league respectively – quite a difference.
We will certainly know how seriously we can take Liverpool’s title chances when their run ends just before Christmas.
But we must not forget that Slot still has to juggle Champions League and League Cup games in the coming weeks, which will test his squad even further and give us a clear indication of our expectations.
Bring it on!
