Analysis of Liverpool’s 2023/24 Premier League Fixtures
Introduction
The Premier League have released the fixtures for the 2023/24 season and Liverpool will be looking to get back to chasing silverware after a tricky campaign in 2022/23. Here, we take a look at five key things we noticed from the Reds’ schedule.
Opener not against a newly-promoted side
For the first time since 2018/19, the Reds will not be starting against a team who have just come up from the Championship. Chelsea will be Liverpool’s first opponents of the new campaign on August 13, with Liverpool having requested that the first game be played away from Anfield to allow extra time to complete the development of the Anfield Road Stand.
A brutal December at Anfield
The festive season is renowned for being a busy time in the football calendar and this season is no exception. Liverpool will host Man United (16th), Arsenal (23rd) and Newcastle (30th) within the space of two weeks in December, with all three sides having finished in the top four in 2022/23. If the Reds are to mount a serious title challenge they will need to overcome a hectic Christmas schedule.
A predictable end
It is the third time in five seasons that the Reds will come up against Wolves at Anfield in the season finale. Optimists might view it as an opportunity for a third time lucky, while others are afraid we have seen the ending of this film one too many times before.
Winter break in January
Fans will have noticed the gap between the trip to Bournemouth on January 13 and the visit of Chelsea on January 31. That is because there will be a winter break after the turn of the year, where the fixtures will be split into two sets of five across the weekends commencing January 13 and January 20. The Premier League have tried to introduce a mid-season break into the schedule in recent years, but the coronavirus pandemic and Qatar World Cup have at times made the logistics more difficult.
A gentler sprint to the line
Liverpool’s April and May run-in could certainly have worked out less favourably. If the Reds can position themselves within striking distance of top spot with six weeks to go, Klopp and his players will certainly fancy themselves to make a serious challenge for the league title as the games draw in. Crystal Palace (H), Fulham (A), West Ham (A), Tottenham (H), Aston Villa (A) and Wolves (H) are Liverpool’s final six games of the campaign – who combined for an average finish of 10th last season – a run the manager would look to take 18 points from when his side are at their swashbuckling best.
Conclusion
Liverpool’s 2023/24 Premier League fixtures have been released and there are some key points to note. The Reds will not be starting against a newly-promoted side, they face a brutal December at Anfield, they will end their season against Wolves, there will be a winter break in January and they have a gentler sprint to the line at the end of the season. Man City will go into the season as heavy favourites, but Liverpool will be hoping to mount a serious title challenge if they can navigate their way through these fixtures.