The Reds have yet another must win game on Monday evening as they face Roberto Martinez's Wigan Athletic side. In what is becoming a fiercly competitive fight for fourth spot, Liverpool must now seize a fantastic opportunity to gain much needed momentum in the battle for Champions League qualification.
Liverpool are the only team battling for fourth place who are in League action this weekend, and must exploit this fact by claiming all 3 points against Wigan to gain a psychological advantage over their rivals.
A win would take Liverpool 2 points clear in fourth position, giving them a slender but significant lead in the race for fourth. Admittedly, Villa, Spurs and Manchester City will all have at least one game in hand, however those games are not guarenteed points, as any footballer will rightly point out, it's much better to have the points on the board than to have games in hand.
For once all of Liverpool's star performers returned injury free from international duty, leaving Rafa Benitez with nearly a full squad to choose from. Martin Skrtel is out for around 6 weeks after breaking a metatarsal in his right foot during the second leg of Liverpool's last 32 Europa League clash in Romania, and Fabio Aurelio is facing 2 weeks on the sidelines with a damaged thigh muscle which he picked up at home to Blackburn Rovers in a bruising battle, last time out at Anfield.
Apart from Skrtel and Aurelio Rafa has a fully fit sqaud to choose from, following the news that Glen Johnson is in contention for a role on Monday evening. The return of the marauding right back is excellent news for Liverpool, as his attacking brillance will add an extra dimension to their forward play. Also, his return to the right back berth will allow Jamie Carragher, who has worked dilligently in place of Johnson, to move back into his favoured role at the centre of the Reds defence, where he is at his exceptional best.
After a difficult, physical encounter with Sam Alladyce's Blackburn Rovers in their last League outing Liverpool will have to deal with a different challenge when they travel to the DW Stadium, the home of Wigan Athletic.
Since the appointment of Roberto Martinez in June 2009 Wigan have been adapting to the Spaniard's positive, attacking tactics following years of dodged and determined battling, which had earned them Premiership status but was unlikely to take them much further. His free flowing style of play is encouraging to see from a side that is usually associated with the type of tactics that saw Aaron Ramsey suffer a horrific leg break, however Wigan's new forward thinking mentality plays right into Liverpool's hands.
If the Reds manage to continue their fantastic defensive work, which has earned them 7 clean sheets from their last 10 League matches, then they should be able to pick off the home side on the counter attack, as the return to fitness of Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun will allow the Reds to penetrate a frail Wigan backline.
Liverpool must aim to keep it tight for the first 20-30 minutes, then hit Wigan hard on the counter attack. If they manage to do this then it should be a comfortable 3 points for Rafa's Redmen, that keeps them firmly in contention for the final Champions League position.
YNWA
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