Liverpool face another marquee opponent on Saturday when they kickoff their next round of Premier League action against a struggling Chelsea Football Club.
The Reds, having succumbed to a disappointing defeat versus Manchester United in their last time out, still can't relate to the rough experience the Blues have been going through. The London outfit have lost six consecutive league matches, all while scoring a total of one goal in those matches.
This is no time for Arne Slot to field a passive side, or instill negative tactics. The Reds need to take advantage of the moment and put Chelsea to the wayside as early as they can.
It's still a hugely important fixture on the calendar, so the best will be required. Let's take a look at what Liverpool supporters should be hoping to see in this one on Saturday.
1. Lots of Rio Ngumoha
The young prodigy was brought on late in the loss at Old Trafford, but even in his limited time, he was able to bring energy and drive to the forward ranks.
Right now, I want the players with the most confidence starting from the off, and Ngumoha falls under that category at this moment. His directness, cleverness and close ball control all make him a nightmare for fullbacks to handle.
With the season winding down, and it appearing like a Champions League spot is nearly locked up, getting the youngster as many competitive minutes as we can should be a priority.
There's no more season left after this month, so we need to maximize his exposure in as many environments as we can heading into another transformative summer at the club.
Chelsea are coming into this match on the heels of surrendering three goals to Nottingham Forest, so their defense is not in a good spot, which should only encourage Arne Slot to get Rio on the pitch, especially considering Alexander Isak is a doubt for the match.
2. The Wirtz-Frimpong connection being reborn
Neither Florian Wirtz nor Jeremie Frimpong were particularly effective against United, so they should be eager to get after a side in such poor form.
The Dutch wingback needs to be extra ready, as his first match filling in for the injured Mohamed Salah was not a true indication of what he can do in advanced positions.
A look back to their time together at Bayer Leverkusen, which is not that long ago when you think about it, will still have Liverpool fans salivating at the possibilities if they come out at their best levels for this one.
Frimpong's pace and trickery on the ball could wreak some havoc on the Blues backline if he is given ample time and angles with the ball at his feet. However, for his part, he needs to make more threatening runs in-behind at every opportunity.
As for the German maestro, he needs to get back to pulling all the strings in attack and setting up whoever he can, whenever he can.
Both these guys have had up-and-down debut seasons at Anfield, so this could be the launching point to at least ending on a high note.
3. Defensive solidity and a clean sheet
As mentioned above, Chelsea have been on a historically bad run of scoring form in the league over the last few months. There is perhaps no better time for a shaky defense like Liverpool's to face them.
If the Reds cannot keep a clean sheet in this one, it will be a very disappointing result, despite the talent that the Blues still have in their ranks. I do not want to see Liverpool's calamitous mistakes or lack of attention to detail be the spark plug for a Blues revival in attack.
Virgil van Dijk has to lead by example and get back to his very best to finish off what is probably his most inconsistent campaign since signing from Southampton.
His partner in the heart of defense, Ibrahima Konate, needs to put on a sterling showing to really catapult his contract negotiations across the line.
His large swings in terms of his level this season have not only hampered the team, but his personal growth and now, seemingly, his ability to secure the desired long-term contract he had in mind.
Whether it is Milos Kerkez or Andy Robertson that gets the nod, Liverpool supporters should expect to see them getting up and down the left side and holding back the likes of Malo Gusto from doing the same to them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow