Arne Slot could not have begun life in Liverpool in a better manner. Owing to their tendency to plan well and plan ahead, Liverpool so far seem to have manage the transition away from Jürgen Klopp in the most seamless way possible.

The Reds are five points clear atop the Premier League, on top of the UEFA Champions League table, and have a very doable quarter-final tie lined up against Southampton in the League Cup, with the FA Cup yet to come.

We may be getting ahead of ourselves, but this may truly turn out to be a very special debut season for Slot and Co. In this article, we present to you our pick of the biggest games over the coming months that, should they win them, will leave Liverpool in the driving seat to win the Premier League going into the business end of the season.

Liverpool v Man City | December 1

At this point it’s safe to say that things haven’t been going well for City. Four back-to-back defeats across all competitions are sufficient to indicate that, even thought they usually take time to get in their groove, the Cityzens are finding it harder to continue their momentum this time round, especially in Rodri’s absence.

But their overarching record cannot be swatted aside even for this down period. City still ought to be expected to come roaring back in the next half of the season, and Liverpool ought to remember from their 2019/20 exploits that the only way to beat City is by running so far away from them in the first half that there’s not even a sliver of chance left for them to make a comeback.

That’s how the Reds lifted the league title in 2020 with an 18-point margin, and while such a margin cannot be expected right now, what can be anticipated is Liverpool beating City in this encounter and put them further into the ground while they have the chance.

Liverpool v Man United | January 5

Given how the last encounter between these two panned out, it would be reasonable to ask: “Why is this an important and tricky fixture for Liverpool?”

Here’s why: United are Liverpool’s historic rivals. Their momentum is already on the up after Erik ten Hag’s departure thanks to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim charge, and under Rúben Amorim one can expect a honeymoon period, which could realistically catapult United just enough to not only make them a tough team to beat but also bring them back into the top four conversation (despite sitting in 13th, the Red Devils are just four points off third-placed Chelsea).

For this game, United will have revenge in mind and possibly momentum on their side. If Liverpool still manage to beat them on this day, it will send shockwaves throughout the rest of the table—declaring their intent and capacity to really go all the way this time round.

Man City v Liverpool | February 22

This is the period when City start gaining pace and reach that “can’t stop us now” momentum. Given how the two sides are faring at the moment, there is a good chance City remain behind Liverpool by the time this fixture rolls around, and Liverpool will need to make sure the distance is big enough for this result to not swing the momentum in the opposite direction.

This will be Liverpool’s chance to at least stop City in their tracks for a moment, if not completely obliterate their pace. And you wouldn’t put it past them, especially if they manage to reinforce over the winter.

Chelsea v Liverpool | May 3

Even when Chelsea aren’t in the race for top four or the title itself, they love to spoil a good party. This will be the first of two crucial affairs against London sides for Liverpool during what will essentially be the final leg of their Premier League title charge. They will have played City twice by this point and know that all they can do is continue on their merry way.

The Blues have been rickety enough to suggest that they will not have secured a top four place come May, so expect them to come into this encounter needing points for their own ends.

Liverpool v Arsenal | May 10

Arsenal seem to be dropping out of the title race earlier this time round, though their momentum makes them look worse than their actual situation. At the very least, we can expect them to be vying for a Champions League spot by this point, and given how the English teams fare in Europe this term there’s a very good chance that fifth place will result in Champions League qualification—offering another slot to the desperate Premier League heavyweights.

So expect this game to a feral affair. It might even end up being a late title-deciding encounter.

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