LEEDS, ENGLAND - Sunday, September 12, 2021: Liverpool supporters during the FA Premier League match between Leeds United FC and Liverpool FC at Elland Road. Liverpool won 3-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool fans set off for London unsure if game will go ahead

Liverpool are due to play Tottenham this afternoon but the uncertainty around Covid cases has left many sceptical of the game going ahead, with fans left to travel despite the precarious situation.

Currently, Liverpool’s game is only one of four to take place in the Premier League this weekend.

But with three positive cases earlier in the week for the Reds, there is a high chance that the number has grown, with Jurgen Klopp accepting that is “not really likely that it will stay at three.”

Jordan Henderson‘s absence from a Christmas event sparked rumours that he could have joined Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones in isolation, but the club have not yet confirmed further cases just hours before the scheduled kickoff.

The team will be awaiting final PCR test results, but the procedure does little to help fans who are making the journey south hours in advance amid transport cancellations:

https://twitter.com/littlemiss_lane/status/1472526356269477893

Adding to the situation is that London has declared a ‘major incident’ following the “huge surge” of Omicron cases and an increase in hospital admissions in the capital.

With fans still able to attend matches, Liverpool and Tottenham supporters will be travelling into a major Covid hotspot with little to no confidence that the match will even be able to go ahead.

LONDON, ENGLAND - Friday, April 23, 2021: A general view before the Premier League 2 Division 1 match between Tottenham Hotspur FC Under-23's and Liverpool FC Under-23's at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

  • Mayor of London declared ‘major incident’ on Saturday
  • No news on new Liverpool infections – yet
  • ‘Business as usual’ currently for Spurs ahead of KO
  • U23s’ game at home to West Ham called off

The situation is one that is not kind to anyone and it begs the question of there needing to be a cutoff time to declare if a match will or will not go ahead, for fans’ sake as well as both clubs and their staff.

In behind-closed-doors games, the issue would not be as precarious as there would not be a large movement of people, but as things stand the late squad test results make for plenty of uncertainty.

West Ham were forced to experience this ahead of their match with Liverpool’s under-23s on Saturday having already travelled to Merseyside, with the Reds unable to fulfil the fixture and thus it being postponed.

The virus creates an ever-changing environment and there is leniency that comes with that, but as Klopp noted, transparency is key – as is early decisions made in the best interests of fans and the players.

As of now, Liverpool’s game is to go ahead, but games have been postponed with two-and-a-half hours’ notice, so stay tuned to This Is Anfield for all the latest. And stay safe!