Three months in and it has already been a season of highs and lows for Liverpool.
A run of five straight wins to start the team’s Premier League title defense. Then a streak of four consecutive losses.
Before the international break, an impressive 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League was celebrated as some sort of revival. That was immediately shot down in a dispiriting 3-0 defeat at Manchester City — a result Arne Slot has had to stew over for the past two weeks, The Associated Press said.
An eight-point deficit to league leader Arsenal certainly isn’t insurmountable, yet — on current form — the gap is more likely to widen than close.
It appears to be time for the English champions to start playing like one, beginning with a home match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
That kicks off a benign run of end-of-year fixtures for Liverpool, with matches against West Ham, Sunderland, Leeds, Brighton, Tottenham, Wolves and Leeds again to come up to Jan. 1.
If the Reds cannot find some form over the next six weeks, then hopes of retaining the league title for the first time since 1984 might be over.
Key matchups
The standout game sees Arsenal host Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.
Arsenal’s run of 10 straight wins — and eight successive clean sheets — was brought to an end with a 2-2 draw at Sunderland before the break for internationals.
Tottenham has won just one of their last meetings since December 2020.
Manchester City plays before then, at Newcastle in Saturday’s late game, and can reduce the gap to one point with a win.
Players to watch Man City striker Erling Haaland’s hot streak doesn’t look like ending. Another four goals for Norway over the past week has taken his tally to 32 in just 20 games in all competitions for club and country.
He has failed to score in just two of those matches.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has missed the last six weeks because of a hamstring injury but looks set to return for the game against Forest, replacing Giorgi Mamardashvili.
That should help to shore up Liverpool's creaky defense, which has conceded 17 league goals so far. Only seen teams have let in more after 11 games.
Out of action Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes sustained a thigh injury while playing for Brazil last week and looks set for time on the sidelines. The center back has been a rock at the back for the Gunners — and a huge threat at set pieces — so he will be a big miss, though they have decent back-up options in summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.
Benjamin Sesko is set to be missing for Manchester United after injuring his knee in the draw at Tottenham in their last game before the international break.
United isn't blessed with many striker options after letting Rasmus Hojlund join Napoli on loan. So manager Ruben Amorim may have to deploy an attacking midfielder, like Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo, up front — something he has done already this season — as United looks to build on its five-match unbeaten run.
Off the field There was a managerial appointment during the international break, with Rob Edwards taking over at last-place Wolverhampton.
Edwards, who played for Wolves from 2004—08 and was born nearby, has a big job on his hands. The team has gone 15 consecutive league games without a victory — 11 of which have been this season, leaving Wolves on just two points and already eight points from safety already.
Edwards joined from second-tier Middlesbrough and has previous Premier League experience with Luton Town, which he couldn't keep up in its one season back in the top flight.
His first game as Wolves manager is at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
