Liverpool dealt Premier League fixture blow that could prove costly against Arsenal and Man City

Liverpool’s Champions League league phase schedule for the 2024/25 season has been confirmed

Liverpool’s Champions League schedule is in, with the Reds being handed a brutal double-header against Real Madrid and Man City at the end of November. Followed by away trips to Newcastle United and Everton, the 10-day stretch is set to be an early defining run in Arne Slot’s first season at Anfield.

They have also been handed a challenging run in October where an away trip to RB Leipzig on Wednesday 23 October is sandwiched between a home meeting with Chelsea and away trip to Arsenal.

In a curious twist of fate, Liverpool actually also play Aston Villa – England’s fourth and final representative in this season’s Champions League – following midweek exploits in Europe.

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The Reds will be hopeful of rivalling Man City and Arsenal in the Premier League title-race. As a result, meetings between the sides are very much cliched six-pointers. Every small advantage matters.

But unfortunately for Liverpool, it is their rivals who have been granted the superior hand when it comes to their corresponding fixture lists.

Both Arsenal and Man City have been afforded an extra day’s rest and preparation ahead of locking horns with the Reds, with their midweek Champions League matches taking place on the Tuesday before facing Liverpool, with Arne Slot’s men in action on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, they will also prepare with ‘easier’ fixtures too. The Reds face their two pot one opponents before taking on Arsenal (Sunday 27 October) and Man City (Saturday 30 November), courtesy of the aforementioned trip to RB Leipzig (Wednesday 23 October) and visit of Real Madrid (Wednesday 27 November) to Anfield.

In contrast, the Gunners host pot two Shakhtar Donetsk, who are arguably one of the more favourable sides they could have drawn, while City host pot three Feyenoord.

Liverpool have also been dealt a harsher hand when it comes to preparation for their meeting with Aston Villa too, despite boasting the extra day’s rest and preparation ahead of their meeting at Anfield on Saturday 9 November.

The Reds are in action at home on Tuesday 5 November, but in Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen they face the toughest side in pot two according to the UEFA coefficients.

In contrast, Villa are afforded a more favourable tip against pot two Club Brugge, even if they have to travel to Belgium.

Admittedly, it would perhaps be a slight surprise if the Villans again found themselves challenging to finish in the top four this season. But such scheduling has given Liverpool further hurdles to overcome if they are to find themselves in a Premier League title challenge.

Having failed to defeat either Arsenal or Man City in the English top-flight last season as they finished third behind both sides, it won’t be lost on the Reds how decisive such meetings could prove to be.

While all sides will have to contend with similar fixture congestion, Liverpool can only hope that such small margins do not prove to be decisive when they next lock horns with their title-rivals.