Liverpool have inched closer to successfully defending their English League Cup triumph from a season ago as they are currently set to square off with Tottenham Hotspur in the semifinals on Wednesday.
The first of this two-legged tie is being held at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, the site of a recent Reds 6-3 magic show in the Premier League, so the good memories will still be fresh.
However, Liverpool will be entering this match on the back of a frustrating 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Sunday where they were far short of the high-levels we have come to expect from them this season.
In this piece, I'm going to look at some of the most important things both the club and fans should be keeping their eyes on during this big match. Let's get into it.
1. What does Arne Slot do at RB?
We all saw the absolutely dismal performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the aforementioned draw against United.
He was incapable of stringing two passes together and his creative presence was severely lacking as he could just not find the normal "killer pass" you would expect from a player of his ilk on the ball.
Having said that, his failings on the ball fall far behind his even worse efforts defending, if you can call it that. He lacked spirit and fight as he barely snapped into challenges which is extra odd, considering the fixture that it was.
He was caught out of position on several occasions and at one point Virgil van Dijk gave him a tongue lashing and the hardest stare that could sober a grizzly.
In the reverse of this, young Conor Bradley won more duels and challenges during his brief cameo on Sunday after coming on for Alexander-Arnold. The Northern Irishman still brings a threat on the ball but his passion for the defensive duties might already exceed those of Trent.
Does Slot go with the feisty youth in this big cup tie or does he bank on TAA being a seasoned pro and bouncing back? It could be key to everything.
2. Can the attack replicate its 6-goal barrage?
I'm not saying we should expect the Reds to bag six goals, although that'd be nice to kill off the tie in the first leg, but I am saying it is fair to expect some more clinical actions on goal.
Ange Postecoglu has been very clear that he has no ambitions of changing his swashbuckling style which means the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Co. should be invited to attack goal with confidence in this one.
Salah and Gakpo were the scorers on Sunday as both continued their sterling campaigns and I fully expect them to be back in the lineup once again. Diaz could have a shout as well, but also perhaps the likes of Jota, who has been itching to get a full runout.
Whoever it is, it will be key that they carryover the scoring boots from our previous visit and try to secure a comfortable first leg advantage to take the pressure off in the return leg.
The firepower is there of course, it will just be a matter of executing. In the end, I do expect this to be a proper cup tie with some end-to-end action that should bode well for Slot's charges.
3. What kind of response to the United frustration will we see?
We might get the answer to this one rather early after kickoff. If the lads are full of life and energy and are biting into tackles, it could be a sign Slot has worked his magic to get them beyond Sunday.
Allowing a 14th-placed and languishing Manchester United club to come to Anfield and walk out with a deserved draw and arguments they could have won is not acceptable. It would not have been acceptable even if Liverpool were not dominating the league and Champions League thus far.
While some players did show up and rose to the occasion, it is obvious for a Cup semifinal that the whole squad must show up in the proper mindset ready to give all for the badge and the moment.
Again, Spurs will come out aggressive and they won't back down, which in a way might be a blessing for the Reds as there will be no time to walk through the opening quarter hour and shake off the cobwebs.
If the midfield can control the flow of the match early, it should bode well for a fairly strong result for the Reds as the engine room is a must to be on point in these types of matches.
Who will be the spirtiual and emotional leader on the day for Slot on the pitch? There will be a player that is needed to lift the squad through their own actions and in cups, it could be anybody that does.