Liverpool travel to Aston Villa for their first Premier League game after the World Cup break.
The reds first half season started poorly although there were flickering signs of an improvement in October and November as they hauled themselves back into the top six.
There is still a gap that needs to be closed however if they are to get back into the top four and the first game back against an improving Aston Villa side will be a tough test.
The reds equipped themselves fairly well in a midweek League Cup clash against Man City but that ultimately ended in defeat.
Three points away from home here today would represent a third consecutive Premier League win - something not yet achieved so far this season.
Follow the game with us here.
As it happened...
There are currently a number of games underway, but here's how the table looks after Spurs 2-2 draw away at Brentford earlier today.
Alisson, Virgil and Trent Alexander-Arnold all return to action for the reds.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Nunez.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Keita, Elliott, Tsimikas, Carvalho, Bajcetic, Phillips, Doak.
Underway at Villa Park.
2' Robertson cross, Nunez dummies and Tyrone Mings clatters into Robin Olsen.
Should Darwin have just finished? Probably.
5' Mings finally back on his feet. Liverpool corner.
Robertson crosses, inswinger, cleared. Trent back in, to Robertson, and Salah puts it away.
Great football.
9' Great save by Alisson to block Watkins. And then the flag goes up for offside anyway.
14' Bailey should do better there with a ball in from Villa's left wing. But he doesn't get a good connection and Alisson collects the ball.
20' LFC free kick and it's floated in and Joel Matip reacts quickets to head it in.
But he was a fraction offside - he went just that little bit too early.
Trent hasn't seen much football with England but it only takes it him 5 minutes back with the reds.
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) December 26, 2022
Robbo becomes the Premier League's top defensive assister ever! 1-0.pic.twitter.com/3sd4op6J8A
28' Villa threatening, Trent appears to make a great tackle - straight down the other end and Nunez latches on to a poor backpass - Olsen saves the vollley.
End to end stuff. Remains 1-0 to the reds.
37' Nunez with the chance that leads to a Liverpool corner.
Corners comes in, Salah touches and then van Dijk drills it left footed. Takes a slight deflection off Konsa but that's 2-0.
HT: Aston Villa 0-2 Liverpool
The reds are in control here. Nunez very lively and a cause of many reds chances. Sometimes should shoot when he passes, sometimes should pass when he shoots but nonetheless he is always involved.
Great return so far from Trent, Virgil and Alisson. Henderson and Fabinho much brighter than midweek.
And Andy Robertson is now the defender with the highest number of assists in Premier League history. He has been a phenomenal purchase for the reds.
Back underway.
46' Watkins has the ball in the net but the flag is up for offside and VAR also confirms it was offside.
49' Positive start from Villa. McGinn heads it down, Buendia hits the side netting.
51' Great speed from Salah to burn past two players, drills it at Olsen's feet there.
58' Villa eventually get the goal. Liverpool haven't been great second half.
Douglas Luiz sends in a cross and Watkins heads in.
2-1. Game on now. Liverpool are going to have to wake back up.
66' Liverpool under the cosh and Klopp decides its time for a change.
Elliott replaces Oxlade-Chamberlain. Keita replaces Thiago.
71' Keita's arrival has settled Liverpool slightly but he had a chance there that he skied over the Villa bar.
It arrived from a Liverpool corner.
20 minutes to go. The reds need a goal here to take the sting out of the game.
76' Good pass forward from Salah and Nunez is just about ahead of the defender. Gets closer but his chance goes narrowly wide of Olsen.
78' Trent and Henderson head off - Gomez and Bajcetic on.
80' INCREDIBLE!! He's only just come on for the Liverpool captain!
Gomez finds Nunez who takes it down and crosses. Olsen beats it away, Bajcetic collects, takes it round the keeper and finishes.
3-1!!
First senior goal for the reds!
87' Villa have brought on Coutinho, Dendoncker and Danny Ings replacing Buendia, Bailey and Kamara.
17 year old Ben Doak replaces Darwin Nunez. This is his Premier League debut.
90' 17 year old Ben Doak has just skinned Lucas Digne down the wing.
Could become the reds youngest ever League goalscorer....
FT: Aston Villa 1-3 Liverpool
Good first half from the reds and a 2-0 lead. But the reds didn't come out the blocks second half and Watkins eventually scored the goal they deserved.
But then Thiago and Oxlade-Chamberlain were removed and Liverpool settled.
Henderson replaced, Stefan Bajcetic scored within two minutes of coming on to settle this game. That was his debut goal for the reds.
Liverpool move on to 25 points.
So Liverpool end the day back where they started in sixth. But crucially two points closer to the top four.
Next up are Leicester at home on Friday.
- LFC Player StatsUpdated
