Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says the Reds’ next three fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal will decide whether they finish in the top four this season.
The Merseyside club’s first game after the international break is at the Etihad, before they travel to Stamford Bridge three days later. They then host the Gunners at Anfield which will complete what Klopp calls a “proper football week”:
“That’s a massive task for us, we all know that. When we come back from the international break we have a proper football week ahead of us, with three games – City, Chelsea and Arsenal – which will then probably define what we get out of it.”
To be honest, Liverpool need at least seven points from those matches to have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League. With Tottenham in action against Southampton this weekend, they could be nine points ahead of the Reds before they play next.
While they will have two games in hand, one of those is the Chelsea fixture so, if they are going to close the gap, they have to start winning matches, especially away from home. With Newcastle and Brighton also in the mix, the outlook really is pretty bleak for Klopp’s team.