April or bust for Liverpool
The Premier League season will drag on to the end of May due to December’s break for the World Cup. It’s usually the last handful of matches in a season that needs assessing in terms of targeting finishing position goals.
But for Liverpool, it’s the penultimate month of the 2022/23 campaign that may ultimately make or break their top-four ambitions. The resurgence of old rivals Manchester United and Arsenal this term has thrown a spanner in the works of the Red’s top four ambitions.
“The level of inconsistency is very hard to get your head around for anybody watching Liverpool because they have been the team that has been most consistent in pushing City over the last few seasons…” Stephen Kelly noted on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily.
“The push for the top four was on, but Spurs have picked up points, Newcastle have a couple of games in hand and it’s going to be a real hard task to get them in that position
Although bookmakers like those highlighted by the in-depth site Match.Center have been odds against a Liverpool top-four finish most of the season, April’s line-up of matches gives Liverpool a chance of sailing towards the top four.
No Fooling Around In April
There are choppy waters ahead for Jurgen Klopp in April. However, were he to catch a fair wind, then there are some crucial points that Liverpool can pick up. The month opens with a run of three blockbuster games, two of them against top-four sides.
It’s Man City and Chelsea away, before playing host to the impressive Arsenal. In total, of the seven matches Liverpool have for April in the Premier League, four of them are against other members of the famous Big 6.
- 1st Man City v Liverpool
- 4th Chelsea v Liverpool
- 9th Liverpool v Arsenal
- 17th Leeds v Liverpool
- 22nd Liverpool v forest
- 26th April West Ham v Liverpool
- 30th Liverpool v Spurs
A Look At Liverpool’s April
April 1st Man City v Liverpool
Liverpool did come up with three points in hosting Man City earlier this season. The Citizens are the ones going to be feeling the pressure to perform at the Etihad in their title bid. The Reds are unbeaten in their last three league games against Pep Guardiola’s troops.
Four of the last six have been drawn (W1 L1) and the Reds have taken a point from both of their last two trips to the Etihad. A point there again could be valuable.
Prediction: Draw
April 4th Chelsea v Liverpool
The Blues have been treading water all term. This still represents a tricky trip to Stamford Bridge for Liverpool. But Chelsea’s lack of scoring threat has been well highlighted and Liverpool should be capable of picking them off. Besides, the performance levels from the 0-0 at Anfield between them can’t get any worse.
Prediction: Win
April 9th Liverpool v Arsenal
The Reds lost by a one-goal margin away at Arsenal earlier this season. Not the worst result in the world given how well Arsenal have been playing. But Liverpool had been on a four-match winning streak against the Gunners in the Premier League before that. It’s a six-match winning streak at Anfield against them in the League. Arsenal are the one going to be feeling all the pressure in this one and could creak.
Prediction: Win
April 17th Leeds v Liverpool
The games just keep coming Liverpool lost at home to Leeds earlier this term. What will the Reds have in the tank after those three games above? It’s the type of fixture where the focus can slip.
Prediction: Draw
April 22nd Liverpool v Notts Forest
Imagining that lessons will have been learned from dropped points against Leeds, could give the Reds a nice shake-up. Nottingham Forest stung Liverpool earlier this season by pulling out a surprise three points. You’d expect the Reds to overturn that.
Prediction: Win
April 26th West Ham v Liverpool
West Ham’s bubble has badly popped this season and looks to have enough defensive holes for Liverpool to punch through. The issue in this one is that the Reds will naturally have one eye on a bigger game, just four days later. Liverpool may have to dig deep here for three points, but West Ham have been poor and there’s a chance.
Prediction: Win
April 30th Liverpool v Spurs
A crunch game at the end of such a busy month. Tottenham have been doing very Spursy things again this season. One week cruising past rivals Chelsea, before losing to the revived Wolves the next.
Tottenham’s road form has been suspect all season and Liverpool are undefeated against them since 2017. A 2-1 win earlier this season in London puts the Reds in with a shout against potentially their biggest rival for a top-four finish.
Prediction: Win
Speculation – But Hope
The above is all speculation of course. But it is to illustrate hope and the key factors that could yet play a part in Liverpool’s season. The insane scheduling is one of those. Seven league matches in April is going to stretch the Reds to their limit.
It’s a massive grind, but it is going to be the same for everyone else. Defences are going to be tired, and the energy levels of all teams are probably going to hit a wall at some point during the moment.
That’s when having those special players, match winners like Mo Salah could be crucial for the Reds.
Keeping Focus
Keeping focus during the month is going to be a challenge. The month starts with three-high profile games, where the intensity and pressure is going to be high. But immediately following that comes some perceived weaker opposition.
After meeting Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal, Liverpool have a run of three games against teams who could still end up in a relegation fight. However, it’s not the quality of opposition that could trip them up. It’s the drop-off in performance level against a perceived weaker team.
The games against Leeds, Forest and West Ham are as fraught with difficulties as the preceding three matches are. Teams fighting for Premier League survival can be dangerous beasts.
Out With A Bang
Not making a deep run in the Champions League could be a silver lining back on the home front. A top-four finish this season in any way shape or form would be better than even a semi-final exit in the Champions League.
It’s how the league month ends, that match against Tottenham that is arguably the biggest game of all for Liverpool. That could be such a huge six-pointer in the race for the top four and the Reds hold the head-to-head aces there.
Seeing Liverpool still within touch of the top four at the end of April should give them more than enough wind in their sails to power home and cap the season with the reward of Champions League football.
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