Even with a win tonight, Liverpool may need Arsenal’s help to avoid dropping out of top 6 | OneFootball

There is a curious (and not wholly implausible) scenario whereby Liverpool could become the first team to win away at Sunderland in the Premier League this season and still end the week one place lower in the table.

The Reds make the trip to Wearside tonight in sixth position, knowing that victory would see them close the gap on Manchester United and Chelsea immediately above them after those two were held to draws on Tuesday night, despite John Aldridge fearing that a top-four finish is already beyond us.

Conversely, a loss would drop Arne Slot’s side to seventh overnight and leave them within arms’ reach of a clutch of teams behind them in table, extending all the way down to Newcastle (who’d move down to 11th if their arch-rivals avoid defeat against the champions).

Where do Liverpool currently sit in the Premier League table?

Going into the match against Sunderland, Liverpool are clinging onto sixth place by the barest of margins. They are level on points (39) and goal difference (+5) with Brentford in seventh, and are only above Keith Andrews’ side by virtue of scoring one more goal (40 to 39).

Defeat for the Reds tonight would drop them down a place on goal difference, and it’s even possible that we could win at the Stadium of Light and still end the matchweek one position lower than where we started, should the Bees record a greater margin of victory over Arsenal on Thursday night.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Liverpool may actually need a favour off Arsenal this week

At the outset of the season – even around the quarterway mark of the campaign in late October – who’d have though that we’d get to this stage and look at tomorrow’s fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium hoping for the Gunners to do us a favour by winning?

That Liverpool are above Brentford in the table in mid-February purely by dint of scoring one more goal is simultaneously a huge testament to how well Andrews’ team have performed, and how dismally the past few months have gone for the reigning Premier League champions.

Sunderland would need to win by four goals tonight to leapfrog the Reds on goal difference, but a home win of any kind would see them draw level on points with Slot’s side, which’d be an extraordinary feat for a club who were promoted via the Championship play-offs just nine months ago.

Even if England (as expected) gets an extra Champions League place for next season, which’d subsequently create further European opportunities elsewhere, a ninth top-flight loss for LFC could see them become embroiled in a battle just to qualify for a continental tournament of any description for 2026/27.

Let’s hope Liverpool can do the business at the Stadium of Light and then – imagine saying this a few months ago! – receive a favour off Arsenal in the form of victory at Brentford tomorrow.

You can watch Slot’s full pre-Sunderland press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: