Liverpool remains on course to make English football history by securing an unprecedented quadruple this season. They made relatively light work of Norwich City to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. According to football tipster Tom Love, who posts regular articles on the best value in the football betting markets, the Reds had scored at least two goals in their previous four FA Cup games. They didn’t disappoint against the Canaries, running out 2-1 winners at Anfield.
The first leg of the much-talked-about quadruple was completed late last month when the Reds bagged the Carabao Cup at Wembley. Jurgen Klopp’s men overcame stiff resistance from Chelsea to win a nail-biting encounter 11-10 on penalties after the game finished goalless following 90 minutes and extra time. It was the first Carabao Cup trophy of Klopp’s Liverpool reign and it’s clear that he and the Reds squad are thirsty for more cups before the season is out.
Liverpool has moved to within six points of Premier League leaders Manchester City, with the Merseyside club still to play Pep Guardiola’s men for a second time this term. That game on 10th April could be season-defining from a league perspective. Stern tests against West Ham and Arsenal lie in wait for the Reds before that crunch game at the Etihad Stadium. As does their Champions League last 16-second leg tie with Inter Milan, with the Reds carrying a two-goal advantage going into the home game.
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Liverpool is currently second-favorites for the Champions League, ironically behind their Premier League title rivals Manchester City. Europe’s biggest club competition often brings out the best in the Reds and with the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane back in action following their appearances at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). They are at full strength for the weeks and months ahead.
Klopp to lean on his squad with a congested fixture schedule looming
With Liverpool battling to become the first English team to win all four major trophies in a single season, this brings immense challenges in terms of fixture scheduling. With the FA Cup, Champions League, and Premier League still key priorities, the Reds could be forced to play up to 22 matches within a cramped 87-day window, with less than four days of recovery per game.
Klopp is not naïve to the fact that the Reds’ route to the quadruple requires plenty of “luck” along the way. Both in terms of star players avoiding injury and securing the necessary results needed to battle on all three remaining fronts. There is quite literally no room for error at this stage of the campaign. Whether the AFCON has taken a lot out of the likes of Salah and Mane remains to be seen, but their on-field presence will certainly bring an extra dimension to the final third.
Bitter rivals Manchester United came the closest to achieving the quadruple in 1999. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were dumped out of the League Cup at the quarter-final stage but rallied to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and, latterly, the Champions League in the most dramatic fashion possible. Manchester City also toyed with the idea of landing the quadruple in 2019 but was forced to settle for a domestic treble after failing to win the Champions League.
The Reds’ Premier League title chase has been the catalyst for their season to reignite. At Christmas, Manchester City looked to have wrapped up the title, moving 12 points clear of Liverpool and Chelsea, both of whom dropped points over the festive period. However, six successive league wins since a battling draw with Chelsea have seen Liverpool halve that gap. A steely-eyed focus on hunting down City has certainly brought out the best in Liverpool of late. Any setbacks in the FA Cup or Champions League may of course derail matters.
It’s Klopp’s biggest chance of landing a quadruple in his managerial career to date. The German is still undecided whether he will stay or leave Anfield in the summer of 2024 at the end of his current contract, but 2021/22 is a genuine opportunity to leave a lasting Liverpool legacy.
