Four straight wins and still no sign of Liverpool settling down. That is the uncomfortable, and very useful, truth heading into Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield tonight. Success has not brought relaxation; if anything, it has sharpened the appetite. In a season where matches come thick and fast, that is exactly the mindset a team needs.
Last Sunday, Liverpool beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 in the Premier League, making it four consecutive victories in all competitions. That is the kind of run that can either lull a side into thinking everything is fine or convince them there is still another level to find. The message from the dressing room is clearly the latter.
Winning is good. Wanting more is better.
Andoni Iraola made that point strongly in his programme notes ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup fourth round tie. He said he was “very happy” when asked about the four wins in a row, but added that there is another side to winning that matters just as much: it leaves you wanting more. That is not just a neat line for the notebook. It is the difference between a team that rides a good week and a team that actually builds something from it.
He was also clear that the competition does not change the objective. It does not matter what tournament it is, what team is selected or what the wider situation looks like: the aim is still to win. That is the attitude Liverpool need during a brutal Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday rhythm, where freshness and focus have to be managed at the same time. It sounds simple. It rarely is.
A difficult fixture, exactly as expected
Chelsea arrive as a very strong Premier League side from London, and Iraola did not dress that up. He pointed out that this is the second time in successive rounds Liverpool have faced a Premier League team from London in this competition, and he expects the challenge to be just as aggressive as it was against Spurs. That is the reality of cup football at this stage: no easy route, no gentle introduction, no hiding place.
He also highlighted the quality in Chelsea’s squad and the standing of Xabi Alonso, saying his record as both player and coach speaks for itself. There was warmth in the welcome, but no softness in the outlook. Once the game begins, nobody involved will be looking to do anyone any favours. That may be obvious, but obvious things are often the ones teams forget at their peril.
For Liverpool, the equation is straightforward enough. The recent run has created momentum, but momentum only matters if it survives nights like this. Iraola spoke about finding the best match-ups possible and thinking carefully about how the game will finish. That is the right way to approach a fixture like this: not with glamour, but with control.
Because if Liverpool want those four wins to mean something beyond a good headline, they need to keep turning pressure into progress. Tonight is another test of that idea. And at Anfield, against Chelsea, it will not be a polite one.
