Our ECHO Jury have their say on the latest goings on at Anfield ahead of Saturday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool have enjoyed a relatively quiet week after back-to-back victories over Inter Milan and Brighton saw the Reds' season shift back towards the tracks, and Arne Slot will now have Tottenham Hotspur in his sights this weekend.
The Reds head to North London on a five-match unbeaten run and no doubt recalling last season's fine 6-3 victory over Spurs which cemented their position at the top of the table.
Liverpool remain a long way from such lofty heights now, but spirits are high among our Reds jury as they survey the scene ahead of another big weekend.
Here's what they think about the latest goings on at Anfield.
Rhys Buchanan
Have Liverpool turned a corner? After the season we’ve had with many false dawns, I think even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans will need a few more performances and results to truly believe the tide has turned.
With that being said you can’t not take enormous heart from our respective wins against Inter Milan and then Brighton last weekend. Not only have obvious names like Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike stepped up and delivered, I’ve been equally excited by the likes of Curtis Jones who had backed up his comments a few weeks ago with positive performances on the pitch.
Overall there seems to be a fluidity and flow about our play which is what seems to be a huge positive. I think the Reds have every reason to feel buoyed and confident heading into tomorrow’s clash against Spurs in what looks like a good time to play the North London side.
Yet in front of a home crowd with speculation about the manager’s future, they’re also a team needing results fast so it should be a gripping and fun encounter to watch.
Andrew Cullen
There is a bit more Christmas cheer in the air. A sturdy, gritty win against Inter, followed by a convincing win against Brighton has lifted spirits. The Salah tempest has settled, for now at least. It is still worrying though that the issue has been brushed under the carpet; it feels like a storm which could appear as quickly as it disappeared.
In a strange season with more failings than successes so far, there have been some small success stories. Szoboszlai continues to underline his leadership qualities, performing in an underperforming team.
Ekitike too has been a bright spark. Although he has been brought into a turbulent, changing, and chaotic front line, his quality hasn’t dimmed. He has a Torres-like quality to his play. The quandary for Slot is that Isak cannot be a luxury bench player.
But what can you do you when Ekitike continues to produce? Slot needs to be bold and lead with Ekitike as his star player. Competition for places should ignite the talent that we have, and once our talent ignites, we should start to see some stability and then success.
This season has felt like one step forward, 12 steps back. It would be uplifting if we could now get some momentum building, so we can salvage what has been a stuttering start to the season.
James Noble
Football, and its accompanying noise, changes quickly. That’s not exactly news, but hey. There are almost always broader patterns and trajectories, though, which can offer an overarching sense of direction.
Liverpool’s direction of travel this season has often appeared tough to read. It will, almost certainly, continue to fluctuate somewhat, but there’s now evidence of relatively sustained headway. Five unbeaten, featuring three wins and three clean sheets, is something for Arne Slot’s team to work from.
First and foremost, clearly, a collective effort. Yet, as ever, there are notable individual storylines weaved in.
Hugo Ekitike, rightly, took much of the acclaim at Anfield on Saturday, as his superbly taken double secured a valuable 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion and capped another rounded display from the 23-year-old. 10 goals in all competitions now, and so much encouragement.
Curtis Jones is another who has acted as a driving force, in and out of possession and on and off the pitch, while Miloš Kerkez continues to grow into the left-back role.
Dominik Szoboszlai has epitomised consistency, and Joe Gomez has stepped in classily recently– the concern around their respective injury issues reflects the level of their contributions, but the early indications appear quietly encouraging.
While seemingly ongoing, the situation around Mohamed Salah developed promisingly prior to his AFCON departure, too. Hopefully, that broader upward trajectory can continue at Tottenham on Saturday evening.