Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is relishing the prospect of a hectic finale to the Premier League title race as his side kick-off a breathless charge to the finish line with a home clash against third-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Liverpool face Spurs in the game of the weekend, a day after title rivals Manchester City travel to struggling Fulham.
Klopp’s side have a two-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s City but have played a game more.
With both teams also playing Champions League quarter-finals in April – City face Spurs while Liverpool take on Porto – the games will come thick and fast and that is the way Klopp says he likes it.
“That’s what we were always talking about – a season is like that, you constantly prepare a basis for the final weeks. We are now in the final weeks and there will be no interruption anymore, there will only be game after game after game and they all are very, very important,” he told the club’s official website.
“We created a wonderful base, now let’s use it.”
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is a doubt for the Spurs match due to a back injury, which forced him to withdraw from England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri should be fit for the weekend after recovering from a groin injury that kept him out of international duty, while Egyptian Mohamed Salah should be fresh after resting during the break.
Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is in with a chance of returning from a groin injury, though Eric Dier is out after suffering a thigh problem for England.
City, who have won six league games in a row, need to put pressure on Liverpool with victory at next to bottom Fulham.
Guardiola is hoping to have several players back to full fitness with Brazilian Fernandinho returning to training along with Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, who missed international duty with a thigh strain.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United hope to bounce back from their pre-break defeat to Arsenal and FA Cup loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but have a tough test at home to eighth-placed Watford.
Arsenal, who are fourth, take on Newcastle United at the Emirates on Monday night.
Pressure is mounting on teams near the bottom of the table and there should be plenty of tension at the Amex where 15th-placed Brighton face Southampton, who are 16th and two points above the relegation zone