Liverpool news: Ten fixtures for Reds fans to relish in 2024/25 season
Liverpool will start life under Arne Slot with a home Premier League game against Ipswich Town in the 2024/25 season.
The Dutchman has taken the managerial reins at Anfield following the departure of charismatic German Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season.
And he starts his tenure with an away trip to newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday, August 17 (12.30pm kick-off).
Here, Sports News Blitz’s Johnny Jones takes a look at 10 standout fixtures for Reds fans to relish in the upcoming campaign.
Manchester United vs Liverpool, Old Trafford, Saturday August 31
Last season’s scoreline: 2-2
Liverpool’s Old Trafford visit may not hold the importance it once did in the battle for the Premier League crown, with the trips to defending champions City arguably now more crucial, but it still gets the blood pumping for Reds fans due to the fierce rivalry between the teams.
United have decided to stick with Dutchman Erik Ten Hag despite him overseeing a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the league last term - and Slot will be aiming to bag all three points from this historic fixture.
Liverpool vs Brentford, Anfield, Saturday, August 24
Last season’s scoreline: 3-0
Slot’s first home league fixture will be crucial in setting the tone for what’s to come under the Dutchman, as he will be eager to get the Anfield faithful onside quickly. It will mark the first time since October 2015 that the main man in the home dugout for Liverpool has not been Klopp and the ex-Feyenoord man will be desperate to make a good impression.
However, in Brentford lies no easy opponent as Thomas Frank’s side have a tendency to cause upsets against top opposition with their physical and direct style of play.
Liverpool vs Chelsea, Anfield, Saturday, October 19
Last season’s scoreline: 4-1
Liverpool will meet Chelsea in their second ‘big six’ clash of the season, with Slot perhaps getting a taste of Anfield’s renowned atmosphere, which some say has faded over recent years. Both sides will be led out by new managers, with Enzo Maresca, the man who led Leicester back to the top flight in his first season of management, at the helm for the Blues.
Slot will be hoping for a result similar to that of February’s meeting between these two, although it may not be that simple as Chelsea are looking to improve on last season’s inconsistent performances by bolstering their squad with reinforcements, having already made three acquisitions in Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa, Marc Guiu from Barcelona and Tosin Adarabioyo as a free agent, formerly of their West London rivals, Fulham.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa, Anfield, Saturday, November 9
Last season’s scoreline: 3-0
With a superb 2023/24 campaign, Aston Villa achieved their highest league finish since their second-place finish in 1992/93 under Ron Atkinson and with it, secured qualification for the Champions League for the first time since 1992 when it was rebranded.
Since Unai Emery’s arrival from Villareal in October 2022, his impact has been nothing short of remarkable. Within a season and a half, he took them from being in danger of relegation to competing with Europe’s elite. They are no doubt a threat to any team in the Premier League, as seen when they defeated both Arsenal and Manchester City last season.
In this fixture last season, however, Villa were beaten comfortably by Liverpool despite the absence of captain Virgil van Dijk.
Emery will be looking to cement his side’s status as one of the league’s best with a statement victory at Anfield, which Slot will be eager to make the fortress it became over his predecessor’s tenure.
Liverpool vs Manchester City, Anfield, Saturday, November 30
Last season’s scoreline: 1-1
Over recent years, Liverpool and Manchester City have been involved in some thrilling title races, but Pep Guardiola’s men have come out victorious every time there has been a close battle.
An obvious reason for this is because the Reds have struggled to win the matches between these two, only taking all the points twice from their last 12 league meetings.
Despite dominating the most recent encounter, even without the likes of Ibrahima Konaté, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and topscorer Mo Salah only able to be deployed from the bench, the points were shared and a run of seven consecutive wins was ended, halting their momentum and leading onto what would be a disappointing end to the season and Klopp’s eight-year reign.
Slot will need to have a much better record in this fixture than Klopp to avoid narrowly missing out on as much success as the German did - but Guardiola will be aiming to blow away his opponents in what may well be his final season in Manchester.
Newcastle United vs Liverpool, St. James’ Park, Wednesday, December 4
Last season’s scoreline: 1-2
Darwin Núñez’s brace in this fixture last season led his 10-man team to victory in the most dramatic fashion with goals in the 81st and 93rd minutes.
Liverpool may need such heroics once again if they are to come away with all three points from St. James’ Park, which has become something of a fortress under Eddie Howe, with his side having the fourth best home record in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, only losing three games.
With Newcastle landing themselves in danger of breaching the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, they find themselves having to offload some of their star players to meet profit regulations. One of these is Anthony Gordon, whom Liverpool have reportedly enquired about signing.
The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards states Gordon “was extremely keen on the move to Liverpool and his head has been turned by the interest shown in him”. If this move were to come to fruition, it would certainly fuel the anger of some Newcastle fans and players going into the game.
Everton vs Liverpool, Goodison Park, Saturday, December 7
Last season’s scoreline: 2-0
In Klopp’s final Merseyside derby, Liverpool were demoralisingly beaten, putting the final nail in the coffin of their title hopes.
The Reds were bullied from start to finish as two set-piece goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed their fate.
Goodison Park will no doubt be a cauldron in what will be the final Merseyside derby held there, with the move to the newly-built Bramley Moore Dock Stadium in the 2025/26 season.
Slot will be keen to ensure that Sean Dyche’s old-school tactics do not get the better of him and his team in a chaotic game of football.
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur, Anfield, Saturday, April 26
Last season’s scoreline: 4-2
It’s usually eventful when these two clash, especially at Anfield with 13 goals scored in the last two times this fixture was played.
Ange Postecoglou’s insistence on playing extremely attacking football, whatever the opposition, means Spurs are never a dull watch.
With some contentious refereeing decisions going against both teams in recent meetings, resentment has risen over time with both sides eager to avenge themselves, because of, at times, incompetent refereeing.
This game being scheduled for the middle of the run-in surely means tensions will escalate even further, with possibly both sides not being able to afford a poor result.
Liverpool vs Arsenal, Anfield, Saturday, May 10
Last season’s scoreline: 1-1
Set up to be a blockbuster – this will be played in the 36th match week of the season, and could well decide who wins the Premier League.
With Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City likely to be involved in another three-way title race, the outcome of this game could be pivotal in deciding each team’s fate. Anfield should be roaring for what could go down as an iconic match, especially if it does turn out to be decisive.
Over the last two seasons, Mikel Arteta has ended the reign of terror Liverpool had over his side, as before Arsenal’s victory over them in October 2022, they had only beaten the Reds in one league meeting since 2015.
Slot will aim to reinstate his new outfit’s historically successful record against the Gunners, especially in a game that could be of paramount importance.
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace, Anfield, Sunday, May 25
Last season’s scoreline: 0-1
If this happens to be a title-deciding game for Liverpool, it will most certainly be a nail-biting one. Crystal Palace have twice derailed the Reds’ title hopes, most recently in this fixture last season, where Klopp’s men failed to reply to Eberechi Eze’s early goal despite a host of chances, and famously in 2014 they came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Selhurst Park in the penultimate game of the season to destroy Liverpool’s hopes and send Luis Suárez into tears.
The arrival of Oliver Glasner in February brought an upturn in form for Palace and especially striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is a major reason why the Eagles are going into the new season as a force to be reckoned with.
Liverpool fans will be itching for their team to deliver in this game, should it play a role in the title race, but it’s difficult to see a world in which this game is a walk in the park.
READ MORE: Who is Arne Slot? A look at the new Liverpool manager’s career so far
