Liverpool’s aims, ambitions and fixtures for final two months of 2024/25 season

Liverpool supporters were grateful for the sweet mercy of the international break at the end of a harrowing week.

The Reds were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties following two gruelling duels and were subsequently beaten by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium. For Arne Slot and his players, it was an almighty reality check following dreams of a treble.

But the Dutchman’s debut term can still be an overwhelming success as Liverpool chase Premier League glory. There remains plenty to play for during the closing two months of the campaign.

Here’s what Liverpool will be aiming to achieve between now and the season’s conclusion.

Champions League and domestic cup disappointment won’t spoil the party should Liverpool win the Premier League title as expected. 12 points clear of chasers Arsenal with just nine matches to play and no outside distractions, it would take a sizeable implosion for the Reds to surrender their grip on top spot.

For Liverpool, it’s now about winning the title as swiftly as possible to avoid any last-gasp nerves. They need 16 points to be crowned champions, meaning they could hypothetically wrap up the Premier League within their next six games – five wins and a draw – or even earlier depending on Arsenal’s results.

Having celebrated their first and only Premier League title behind closed doors during the coronavirus pandemic, celebrations will be wild should Liverpool clinch the title this season. Finishing with a home game against Crystal Palace, they will be able to lift the trophy in front of the Anfield crowd for the first time.

Liverpool supporters still anxiously await confirmation of contract news regarding the invaluable trio of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. All are free agents this summer and they are yet to commit their futures to the Reds, with nerves jangling across Merseyside.

The prospect of losing three of Liverpool’s most transformative modern greats in one summer will be daunting for Slot, who will ideally want the trio to stay next season and beyond. Sorting their contract situations is of paramount importance and presumably playing out behind the scenes.

There is a quiet acceptance among some sections of the Liverpool fanbase that Alexander-Arnold looks likely to be donning the fabled Real Madrid jersey next year, but losing Van Dijk and Salah at the same time could be devastating for the Reds and their hopes of building momentum under Slot.

Regardless of the outcome of contract discussions over the coming weeks and months, it promises to be a busy summer for Liverpool in the transfer market.

The Reds barely strengthened last summer – making Slot’s success all the more remarkable – and signed just Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili. The former has seldom featured this season and the latter has spent the campaign on loan at Valencia.

Slot now has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within his squad, as well as the areas which require greater depth. There will likely be a host of positions that are upgraded or bolstered, with Slot having earned the trust of the club’s owners.

Left-back could do with immediate improvement following Andy Robertson’s obvious declinewhile a new defensive midfielder could still be bought. Liverpool are likely to sell Darwin Nunez this summer and will require a replacement who can deliver more than the Uruguayan. The Reds could also need to spend on a right-back, centre-back and winger depending on contract talks.

Liverpool and their usually flawless recruitment team will have the luxury of beginning their transfer preparations earlier than expected should they manage to clinch the Premier League title swiftly.

Such has been Liverpool’s Premier League superiority this season, they will head into each of their final nine matches of the campaign as clear favourites. They face a mixture of challenging and fairly routine fixtures, starting with the Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield after the international period.

Clashes with Fulham, West Ham United and Leicester City follow and should realistically result in maximum points, before a tougher spell against three London giants. A trip to Chelsea is sandwiched in between home meetings with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal during a potentially defining period.

Liverpool visit the south coast in their penultimate fixture as they face Brighton & Hove Albion, followed by the season closer at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday 25 May.

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