Liverpool’s toughest fixture is not Chelsea but this evening on the south coast
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With a cigarette paper separating Manchester City and Liverpool and six games to go apiece it is perfectly natural that Blues, Reds and neutrals alike are analysing the remaining fixtures, looking for potential dropped points.
The general consensus from studying these commitments appears to be that City have the tougher six weeks ahead with the hosting of Tottenham offering up a myriad of difficulties and that is followed soon after by an immensely challenging trip across town to Old Trafford. Aways to Crystal Palace and Burnley meanwhile can hardly be considered bankers under any circumstance and that is especially true during a hectic, highly pressurised period when hard fought draws won’t suffice.
As for Liverpool and their games to come it only takes a quick glance to determine which will be their toughest test. It’s Chelsea isn’t it. Of course it is. After all, four of their remaining six fixtures are against sides that presently languish in the bottom seven of the Premier League and though a case could be made that each pose a real threat as they scrap for their top flight lives that is equally balanced out by the many reasons why they’re in such dire straits.
Chelsea, in comparison, with their top four aspirations and Eden Hazard at the fore are the last giant to slay. They’re the one to fear if you’re a Red. They’re the one to hang your hopes on if you’re of a Blue persuasion. It has even been said and tweeted since Liverpool’s late dramatic win over Spurs that should they finally exorcise their Demba Ba shaped ghost from 2014 and emerge victorious from this top six affair then Jurgen Klopp’s men should be viewed as favourites for the title.
Fair enough. There is logic in this conclusion even if it hopelessly over-simplifies the last few miles of a compelling and fiercely contested race.
Staying with that over-simplification however it could be argued that Chelsea isn’t even Liverpool’s most difficult chore on their to-do list. That is a rejuvenated Southampton – one of the four relegation haunted sides discounted above – at St Mary’s this Friday evening.
Prior to Chelsea’s midweek dismissal of Brighton the Saints had actually accrued more points in 2019 and this has been achieved from a familiar pattern that we see time and again whenever a very good coach – in this instance the highly respected Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl – takes on the reins of a club proverbially curled up in the foetal position.
First comes the ‘new manager bounce’ and not a great deal can be read into this though we can assume Southampton supporters more than welcomed their thrilling 3-2 victory over Arsenal and subsequent battering of Huddersfield all the same. Next up traditionally comes a mini-slump as a squad limited in stature – because we cannot ever lay the blame for a club’s plight entirely at the old manager’s door – struggles to transfer fresh ideals and new instructions onto the pitch.
After that, to varying degrees, we so often see a club improve: quick enough where to the naked eye it appears to be a pronounced transformation but in reality one that is grounded in countless hours on the training ground. An impressive nullification of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the turn of the year was proof enough that Southampton were galvanised under the 51-year-old’s command; organised and instilled with belief.
The results ever since meanwhile have shown beyond any doubt that their ferocious high pressing; switching to a defensive back three; and clever use of the counter with Nathan Redmond deployed centrally makes the Saints a much more dangerous proposition to the predictable fare served up under Mark Hughes.
All of this makes Southampton infinitely more than a possible banana skin as Liverpool supporters approach the game with a trepidation that is born more out of superstition than genuine fear. It is, to them and pundits, a fixture to be navigated. A tricky ask. And all the while they have one eye on a forthcoming blockbuster bout with Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea.
Southampton are fighting for their lives and are fighting with panache and togetherness. They are an in-form side reborn. Furthermore they beckon down their visitors to a packed out and vociferous St Mary’s on a Friday evening. Weird things happen on Friday night games. There is no rhyme or reason to that. They just do.
Should Liverpool prevail it doesn’t make them title favourites. It does, however, mean they have overcome their hardest obstacle in their bid to attaining legendary status.