Premier League 2016/17: Analysing the festive period fixtures for the top 6

Liverpool (Currently 2^nd – 37 points)

Liverpool’s players celebrate Sadio Mane’s late winner in the Merseyside Derby

Fixtures: Stoke City(H), Manchester City(H), Sunderland(A)

The Reds enter the festive period with Sadio Mane’s injury time winner ensuring a win for Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby, which would surely have given them a huge lift. Jurgen Klopp also welcomed back Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge back into the scheme of things. Liverpool’s star player Philippe Coutinho is expected to be back for the game against Manchester City on the 31^st of December.

The Reds don’t play a match on Boxing Day for the first time since 2010, but welcome Stoke City to Anfield on the 27^th of December; a challenge that Liverpool should stave off easily.

Klopp’s men have been unstoppable at Anfield this season, until they hit a roadblock in the form of a 2-2 draw against West Ham. They will be itching to set things right against Stoke before the big day when Manchester City visit on New year’s Eve.

But the real problem that Klopp has – which he has been very vocal about– is that there is less than 48 hours between their game against City and their away game against Sunderland on the 2^nd of January. With the style that Liverpool play and the intensity that the manager demands from his players, it will be interesting to see how the German manages the squad for those two games.

Sportskeeda Prediction: Liverpool will win against Stoke and Sunderland and will draw against Manchester City. That will take their total points tally to 44.