Liverpool have made an excellent start to their Premier League title defense, standing as the only English team to claim nine points from nine.
But the season is about to intensify, with the Reds facing two EPL matches, a Champions League clash, and a Carabao Cup tie across their next four contests as they dive deeper into their campaign.
With this packed fixture list ahead, let’s break down Liverpool’s next four opponents and how I expect each match to unfold.
Burnley vs. Liverpool, Sept. 14 (Premier League)
Liverpool will emerge from the international break set to visit Turf Moor for their first game back.
Burnley, who have bounced between the Premier League and the Championship for much of the past couple years, have made a decent start to the season—beating an inspired Sunderland side after a 3-0 loss to Spurs, and coming tantalizingly close to snatching a point at Old Trafford before a late Bruno Fernandes penalty.
The Clarets boast a steady back line anchored by veterans like former Manchester City mainstay Kyle Walker and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who enters in strong form after helping Slovakia post a 2-0 clean-sheet victory over global powerhouse Germany with four saves.
The Reds will also be familiar with Burnley manager Scott Parker, who previously coached Bournemouth and Fulham, and was at the helm during the Cottagers’ memorable 1-0 upset at Anfield in 2021.
Often lining up in a 4-2-3-1, Burnley’s back line can be difficult to break down, especially with their central midfielders dropping deep to provide extra cover.
But Arne Slot could disrupt that setup by restoring Dominik Szoboszlai to his natural attacking midfielder role, allowing Liverpool’s most creative player so far this season to cause real problems between the lines.
I think it will take some fight, but with Liverpool coming off the break rested and refreshed, they should be poised to deliver a professional performance and secure all three points against the newly promoted side.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Burnley
Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid, Sept. 17 (Champions League)
Just three days after facing Burnley, Liverpool will kick off their 2025-26 Champions League campaign by hosting perennial Spanish contenders Atletico Madrid.
Like their crosstown rivals Real Madrid, Atlético are no strangers to facing Liverpool with success in the Champions League—most memorably sending the soon-to-be Premier League champions crashing out of the 2020 Round of 16 with a dramatic 3-2 win in Madrid and a 1-0 victory at Anfield, just before the COVID-19 pandemic brought football to a standstill.
Domestically, Atletico have struggled to start their La Liga season, remaining winless after two draws and a surprising opening-day defeat to Espanyol.
Despite the rough start, Atletico remain packed with talent, including rumored Liverpool target Julian Alvarez, who has already scored in La Liga, alongside the ever-dangerous Antoine Griezmann and the consistently reliable goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Given the undoubtedly desperate mood in their dressing room to secure a positive result and their history of success against Liverpool, I expect Diego Simeone’s side—always aggressive and passionate under the Argentine manager—to be hungry for at least a point.
Considering how difficult it would be for the Reds to start their season with five straight wins across all competitions, a draw seems like a fair outcome in what should be another thrilling contest between these two sides.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Atletico
Liverpool vs. Everton, Sept. 20 (Premier League)
The Merseyside Derby comes around again.
The last two meetings between these sides—a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final derby at Goodison Park and a 1-0 Liverpool win courtesy of Diogo Jota’s final gift to fans before his tragic passing—featured memorable goals, red cards, and high emotions. This season’s clashes promise to be just as intense.
Liverpool will enjoy home-field advantage for the season’s first clash with their neighbors, and after James Tarkowski’s near-catastrophic tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in their last meeting, Anfield will be eager to see the Blues handed a thorough walloping.
But, as is often the case when these two clubs meet, Liverpool will likely have to earn a result the hard way, especially given Everton’s strong start to the Premier League campaign, including recent wins over Brighton and Wolves following a loss to newly promoted Leeds at Elland Road.
Like Burnley, Everton are reaping the benefits of having a member of Man City’s dominant four-peat in Jack Grealish.
While he appeared to have fallen out of favor under Pep Guardiola in Manchester, the former treble-winner has made a strong start with the Toffees, registering four assists—currently the most of any player in the Premier League.
The Blues always make this fixture a tough test, but I’m backing Liverpool to dig deep and start the domestic season with a perfect 15 points from 15.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Everton
Southampton vs. Liverpool, Sept. 23 (Carabao Cup)
Liverpool’s busy second half of September continues when the Reds pay a visit to St. Mary’s Park to play Southampton in the third round of the EFL Cup.
Despite the saturated fixture list, Liverpool should benefit from their incredible squad depth, giving players who have seen limited to no minutes—like Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, and Giorgi Mamardashvili—valuable playing time while allowing regular starters to rest and recharge.
Even if Liverpool fields their “backups,” this should be an easy win on paper—but given that the Reds nearly dropped points to one of the Premier League’s weakest-ever sides (no offense, Saints) last season, only salvaging a result thanks to a Mohamed Salah brace, they can’t afford to switch off this time.
The Reds should also have learned a valuable lesson about underestimating opponents in domestic cup matches after Manchester United was stunned by League Two side Grimsby Town in the competition just two weeks ago—proof that anything can happen if the supposedly superior team doesn’t show up to play.
But, I simply can’t see Arne Slot letting his players go into this one unprepared.
Especially after Liverpool’s FA Cup loss to Championship side Plymouth Argyle last season, the Dutchman will be eager to deliver a commanding performance and ease any fears of an early exit at the hands of a team they were expected to beat.
Prediction: Liverpool 4-0 Southampton