Not to state the obvious, but it hasn’t been the best of seasons for Liverpool Football Club. Sixth on the table and 14 points off top spot in February isn’t what you would expect from a team that won the league with four games to spare in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
However, football is full of surprises and Liverpool fans have experienced some this season. Yet there can be redemption. The battle for Champions League places continues. Arsenal and Manchester City are fighting for the title. Meanwhile, Liverpool compete with Chelsea, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Brentford for the remaining CL spots.
For Liverpool, qualifying for the UCL depends on whether they can win their upcoming fixtures, starting from March. Let’s quickly look at who Liverpool face next month. If you’re considering having Liverpool on your MostBet tickets next month, our fixture previews could help you decide how to wager on these games.
The March Calendar: Time to Fix Mistakes
Liverpool play Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspurs and Brighton & Hove Albion in March. We zoom into these fixtures below.
Away at Wolves (March 3)
The first team Liverpool will face in March is Wolverhampton Wanderers. It’s an away game at the Molineux Stadium. Wolves have been very poor this season. After 26 matches, they have one win and sit bottom of the log with nine points and a -32 goal difference.
On paper, this match looks easy for Liverpool. However, the first leg wasn’t exactly a straightforward win. Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz scored in a 2-1 victory for Arne’s slot side, but they struggled throughout the first half.
In the return leg, the manager will hope they play better. Wolves haven’t won in February, while Liverpool lost to Manchester City and picked up maximum points away at Sunderland.
Injuries would be the biggest worry for Arne Slot before this game. Liverpool currently have the following players out:
- Jeremie Frimpong – Likely back in the squad February 22 against Nottingham Forest
- Alexander Isak – Potential return in May
- Wataru Endo – Unknown recovery timeline
- Conor Bradley – Out for the season
- Giovanni Leoni – Out for the season
In the race for CL spots, Liverpool will want to avoid any other absences from the first team. A thin squad does little to help the Anfield side’s chances of making the CL.
Home Battle Against Tottenham (March 15)
Next up for Liverpool after Wolves is Tottenham at Anfield. They’re another team who are out of form. Some years ago, they were constantly in the conversation for the top four. But that’s not the case right now. Tottenham are 16th on the league table. They have also just sacked Thomas Frank as manager.
Don’t write them off for these reasons, though. Spurs can be tough to play and can potentially harm Liverpool’s top four hopes. This is also one of those games that promises goals. We’ve seen scorelines of 5-1, 6-3, 4-2, 4-3, 2-2 and 3-1 in the last ten games between the two sides.
In fact, Liverpool vs Tottenham has the most goals in the EPL. There hasn’t been a goalless draw between them since October 2015. Interestingly, that was Jurgen Klopp’s first match as Liverpool manager.
That said, Liverpool won the first leg at Anfield in December, with Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak scoring in a 2-1 victory.
Visit to the Amex: Brighton vs. Liverpool (March 21)
Before the international break, Liverpool will play Brighton & Hove Albion away from home. The Amex Stadium hasn’t favoured Liverpool in recent years. They have won just once in five away games (including FA and EFL Cup ties) against Brighton. So, this is a tricky test for the 20-time league champions.
However, Brighton aren’t playing well right now. They don’t have a win in five games and have one victory in their last 13 EPL matches. If this form continues into March, Liverpool could pounce and claim victory against the Seagulls.
Slot’s Tactics: Why Has the System Started to Falter?
Arne Slot had a dream start to life as Liverpool head coach, winning the league in his first season. A £446-million summer transfer window followed and it seemed like the Reds were set to blow the league away on another title march. However, Liverpool are sixth in the League 26 games later and in danger of missing out on the UCL. Where has it all gone wrong? Let’s find out:
Double Pivot and the Lack of Balance
Liverpool’s issues are not simple, but one thing was clear at the beginning of the season: the team lacked balance. No other position made this obvious like the midfield.
The midfield set-up that helped Liverpool win the league last season featured a double pivot made up of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. However, fitness issues kept the latter away from the starting line-up early this season. That meant Dominik Szoboszlai became the second half of the base midfield pairing.
However, Szoboszlai is not a specialist six and neither is Gravenberch or Mac Allister. Although all three can play the role, they don’t offer the defensive security of someone like Moisés Caicedo, for instance.
While Liverpool had midfield balance last season, the lack of defensive security in the middle of the park has been exposed this year. This is especially obvious in a set-up that looks more attack-minded compared to last season’s cautious approach. The result was that Liverpool were torn open too easily in the first few games of the season.
Integrating Florian Wirtz into “Heavy” Football
Florian Wirtz was one of Liverpool’s statement signings last summer. However, he had a slow start to life in English football.
During his first few months, the league seemed too physical for him. In the Bundesliga, Wirtz had time and space to work his magic. But in England, he was easily bullied off the ball and misplaced countless passes. He also affected the overall balance of Liverpool’s midfield with his poor positional discipline.
Output-wise, the numbers were poor too. In his first 15 EPL games for Liverpool, Florian Wirtz had zero goals and assists. He has found his feet since then, though, picking up four goals and two assists in his last ten league games.
Who Will Carry Liverpool Into the Top 4?
As Liverpool chase a Champions League spot, we look at the players who could be pivotal for the club.
Attacking Leaders: Hugo Ekitike and His Finishing
Despite how tough this season has been for Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike has been a shining light. The summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt scored on his debut against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. He followed that up with a goal and an assist on his EPL debut against Bournemouth.
As many around him struggled, Ekitike continued to perform at elite levels. He is currently Liverpool’s top scorer in the league with ten goals. Many of those goals have also been pivotal. For instance, his goal was the difference in the first leg of Liverpool FC vs Tottenham.
Hugo Ekitike’s performances have surprised many. For instance, Gary Neville recently admitted he was wrong about the striker. If Liverpool will make it to the UCL, Ekitike’s finishing will be important.
Defense: Van Dijk’s Experience vs. Youthful Pace
Virgil Van Dijk is a player that’s rarely unfazed. Calm as you like, the Liverpool fans sing about him. Even in a season as rocky as this one, he has remained a calm and authoritative defensive presence against the league’s pacey forwards.
He makes 7.9 clearances per game and has won 77.61% of his aerial duels. Van Dijk’s performances as Liverpool captain mean he’s one of the first names in any predicted lineups.
But Van Dijk is more than a tower at the back. His experience is an asset that will help Liverpool in the race for UCL spaces.
FAQs
Here are some of the most asked questions about Liverpool’s run:
How many goals will Liverpool score against Tottenham?
Liverpool vs Tottenham has the most goals in the EPL. While you cannot predict the next match, recent games have ended 6-3, 4-2 and 4-3.
How many times has Brighton beaten Liverpool?
Brighton defeated Liverpool at the Amex Stadium in the 24/25 season. They also won at their home stadium in the 22/23 and 20/21 seasons.
Can Liverpool still qualify for the Champions League?
Yes, Liverpool can still qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They are currently sixth in the league, three points behind fourth place.
