Alisson return, Man United beat and transfer plan comes together - Liverpool's ideal end to 2023

Even by their flawless standards of recent seasons, it's been a surprisingly strong start to the 2023/24 campaign for Liverpool.

The Reds head into the busiest month of the football calendar second in the Premier League table, top of their Europa League group, and eyeing up a place in next month's Carabao Cup semi-final.

Jurgen Klopp's men made a perfect beginning to December with a dramatic, come-from-behind win against Fulham at Anfield on Sunday and face a further seven games across all competitions in the next three weeks.

Indeed, between now and the end of the month, the credence of Liverpool's Premier League title ambitions will be tested.

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Here, the ECHO takes a look at how the final month of 2023 could set the Reds up perfectly for a vital 2024.

Roll with the punches

Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold would barely have had time to revel in the brilliance of their Sunday strikes before attention would have quickly switched to the forthcoming trips to Sheffield United and Crystal Palace.

The fixture list makes for tough reading for the Reds who will have to follow their efforts up at Bramall Lane on Wednesday with yet another Saturday lunchtime kick-off, this time at Selhurst Park.

Such a demanding schedule places an added emphasis on accumulating points rather than perfect performances, something Klopp's men became masters of on their way to Premier League glory in 2019/20 as they ground out results at venues like Bramall Lane, Selhurst Park, Molineux and Carrow Road.

Next week's Europa League tie at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise