Liverpool begins their title defense in earnest in 2021 at St Mary’s.
They will face a very good Southampton side come Monday, but need to end their run of draws if they want to continue at the top of the table.
Leading the league by virtue of goal differential, over arch rivals Manchester United, Liverpool carry a whopping six draws from the autumn and early winter campaign; which have left them with 33 points from their first 16 games of the season.
A mere five points separate the top five sides and have created a bit of a logjam at the top. The Reds have had their chances to put distance between themselves and the chasing pack, but squandered the opportunity by drawing three of their last five outings in December to end the year.
Draws against Fulham, where they played uninspired and tired football, and subsequent back to back draws with WBA and Newcastle United have seen Klopp’s lads drop points to three of the four bottom table sides in the past two months.
They have been less than inspired on the road for much of the autumn; the shellacking of Crystal Palace being the one bright spot which saw the Reds in a record setting 7-0 spotlessly perfect performance.
Some highly questionable officiating has left the Reds hard done by, at Brighton, at home with WBA, and in their last outing again on the road at St. James Park to end the year. To be fair, Liverpool left themselves too close to their opponents; bottom and lower table sides that they just could not put away with clinical finishing. This gave the officiating crews the opportunity to tip the scales in their opponents favor.
But 2020 is done and dusted and the new year begins come Monday at St Mary’s. The Reds have a packed January schedule to negotiate with six league ties once again for the second consecutive month. The fixture pile up due in large to the resurgent and prolific COVID pandemic threatens once again to have a profound effect on this season and its inevitable outcome.
Now the campaign for back to back PL titles begins in earnest at Southampton. The next six games in January will in all likelihood determine their success in their pursuit of their second PL title.
By taking 18 points on offer in January the Reds, for all intents and purposes, could wrap up this title by the end of February; if they maintain their focus and find that sang froid which earned them that mentality monster moniker last year.