Can Liverpool emulate Arsenal's Premier League Invincibles?

Liverpool are on course to match the Arsenal Invincibles and go a full Premier League season without losing a single game, and they have already matched one record posted by Arsene Wenger’s glorious Gunners.

Last week’s 2-0 win against Sheffield United means Jurgen Klopp’s men have now gone a calendar year unbeaten, something done only twice before in the Premier League, by Arsenal in 2003-04 and Chelsea in 2004-05.

• Tottenham v Liverpool preview

A first title win in 30 years is looking a near-certainty – though Liverpool could be forgiven for not being quite so bullish given three decades of heartache – leaving punters wondering what mileage there is left in the Reds.

An unbeaten campaign has been backed in to 8-1 from a pre-season 66-1. Were they to pull that off, they would then start the 2020-21 season needing to avoid defeat in their opening two games to smash Arsenal’s all-time top-flight unbeaten record of 49 matches.

But it’s a tall order. Simply to match Chelsea’s 40-match unbeaten record they need to avoid defeat against Spurs and Manchester United over the next fortnight, the first two of several trappy encounters to come before the end of the season.

And it’s a campaign, of course, which could end up with them still battling for another Champions League crown with the Premier League title already wrapped up, enabling Jurgen Klopp to shuffle his side domestically to pursue his double dream.

Talking of doubles, Liverpool were 22-1 to win both the Champions League and Premier League this season. Now they are around 9-2. Make it a treble with the FA Cup attached and what was a 225-1 shot has been smashed in to 25-1.

Liverpool's remaining fixtures

January

Premier League fixtures: Tottenham (away, Jan 11), Man Utd (home, Jan 19), Wolves (away, Jan 23), West Ham (away, Jan 29)

Other fixtures: FA Cup fourth round – Bristol City or Shrewsbury (away, Jan 26)

Pluses: If there’s a good time to be going to Spurs it’s probably when you know Harry Kane has been ruled out through injury. Liverpool have a free week before taking on Manchester United, for whom the fixture arrives three days after an FA Cup replay against Wolves.

Minuses: You can argue about how much Tottenham and United are improving under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but whatever your verdict, those two followed by Wolves represents a tough run of games. The FA Cup fourth round has been sandwiched in between the Wolves and West Ham matches and means more game time for Anfield’s array of youngsters.

February

Premier League fixtures: Southampton (home, Feb 1), Norwich (away, Feb 15), West Ham (home, Feb 24), Watford (away, Feb 29)

Other fixtures: Champions League – Atletico Madrid (away, Feb 18)

Pluses: This is about as soft a programme of Premier League matches as any boss could hope for, notwithstanding the fact that all four of them are scrapping to avoid relegation. The winter break means there’s also a week off, though every side benefits from that.

Minuses: A relatively brisk turnaround between the late Saturday showdown at Norwich and their last-16 first-leg trip to Madrid to take on Atletico.

March

Premier League fixtures: Bournemouth (home, Mar 7), Everton (away, Mar 14), Crystal Palace (home, Mar 21)

Other fixtures: Champions League – Atletico Madrid (home, Mar 11)

Other possible fixtures: FA Cup fifth round (Mar 5), FA Cup quarter-final (Mar 21)

Pluses: You’d be short odds Liverpool getting nine points out of nine.

Minuses: The Bournemouth match may well be switched to the 8th if Liverpool are still in the FA Cup. They will be hoping Bournemouth are as well. A rejuvenated Everton are going to be chomping at the bit, especially if their bitter rivals are still unbeaten.

April

Premier League fixtures: Man City (away, Apr 4), Aston Villa (home, Apr 11), Brighton (away, Apr 18), Burnley (home, Apr 25)

Other possible fixtures: Champions League QF first leg (Apr 7/8), second leg (Apr 14/15); SF first leg (Apr 28/29); FA Cup semi-final (Apr 18/19)

Pluses: Again, everybody benefits, but Jurgen Klopp will have appreciated the international break as he goes into April’s opener at Manchester City. Villa, Brighton, Burnley looks an agreeable enough trio of fixtures.

Minuses: If Klopp’s men are still involved in one or other of the cup competitions – certainly the Champions League where strong teams will have to be deployed – there will be fixture rearrangements with the guarantee that the workload will become heftier.

May

Premier League fixtures: Arsenal (away, May 2), Chelsea (home, May 9), Newcastle (away, May 17)

Other possible fixtures: Champions League semi-final second leg (May 5/6); Champions League final (May 30); FA Cup final (May 23)

Pluses: If, for argument’s sake, they have won the title by this stage, they can perform under relatively little pressure.

Minuses: If the title is still on the line, a London double-header against Arsenal and Chelsea would look very different, especially if the trip to the Emirates precedes a Champions League semi-final second leg.

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