Steven Gerrard has warned Liverpool’s top-four rivals that he expects Jurgen Klopp’s side to come ‘flying out of the blocks’ when the Premier League returns and enjoy a ‘strong’ and ‘exciting’ finish to the season.
The Reds, who finished one point behind champions Manchester City last term, will be sixth in the Premier League when the English top-flight resumes on Boxing Day.
Liverpool won two domestic trophies and reached the Champions League final last season and were tipped to challenge for major honours yet again before a ball was kicked in anger last summer.
But Klopp’s side made a poor start to the 2022-23 campaign, winning just six of their first 14 league games to slip 15 points behind Arsenal and seven points outside the Champions League places.
Anfield legend Gerrard believes the mid-season break for the World Cup may be just what Liverpool needed, however, and expects his former club to turn things around in the second-half of the season.
Liverpool, who are currently on a warm weather training camp in Dubai, return to competitive action on December 22 with a League Cup clash with Manchester City, before facing Premier League rivals Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
‘Yeah, it is [like a second pre-season]. It’s an opportunity to get a lot of work in on the training ground [and] reset a few things,’ Gerrard told Liverpool’s official website on the team’s ongoing camp in Dubai.
‘I’m sure Jurgen and his staff are doing a lot of things tactically but [it’s] also an opportunity to have a much-needed rest. They’ve played a lot of football over the last few years, they were involved in every competition last year.
‘So to have a small pre-season before a ball was kicked [and then] to have this opportunity to rest and then have a second build-up, I’m hoping that Liverpool come flying out of the blocks.
‘I expect a really strong six months and finish to the season because important players have had the chance to rest and recover and the players [who have been] in the World Cup should come back full of confidence, in a good place, physically ready.
‘I expect a really strong, exciting finish to the season for the Reds.’
Arsenal and Man City are threatening to pull away from their domestic rivals at the top of the Premier League but the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle, Tottenham, Man United and Chelsea could all be involved in a thrilling top-four race.
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