Liverpool 6th in the Premier League heading into World Cup break

Brighton‘s defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday means Liverpool go into the World Cup break sixth in the table, with their next Premier League clash not coming until Boxing Day.

Two consecutive victories over Tottenham and Southampton have at least given Liverpool some hope of salvaging their league campaign, having so far failed to reach the high standards they’ve set in recent years.

Jurgen Klopp‘s side have only won six of their opening 14 Premier League matches, with four draws and four defeats along the way.

They do, however, head into the mid-season break on something of a high, with eight wins from their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Southampton saw them leapfrog Chelsea and Brighton into sixth in the table, and it’s there they will remain until after Christmas, with Brighton beaten 2-1 at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Being ahead of Chelsea in the table is a minor consolation for Klopp’s team, given the criticism they have received for their performances for much of this season.

It’s certainly not the position Liverpool would hoped to have been in at this stage, but with seven points separating them and fourth-placed Tottenham, who have played a game more, the Reds are, at least, in touching distance of the top four.

Any hopes of a title challenge are all but over, with the Reds 15 points behind Arsenal, who will be top of the table at Christmas.

Man City are 10 points ahead in second, but many may have expected that gap to be bigger at this stage, given the contrasting form of the two teams for the majority of this season.

It’s Pep Guardiola’s side who Liverpool face in their next competitive match, with their Carabao Cup fourth round tie booked in for Thursday, December 22 at the Etihad Stadium.

Their next league encounter comes away to Villa on Boxing Day, before they host Leicester at Anfield on December 30, and round off their festive schedule away to Brentford on January 2.

Before then, those that won’t be involved in Qatar are to take part in a mid-season training camp in Dubai, with Liverpool expected to play friendlies against the likes of AC Milan and Lyon.