Liverpool can close the gap to within a point of the top four with victory at Brentford on Monday night.
The Reds have returned from the World Cup and registered successive wins against West Ham and Leicester, but will take on a Bees side who are unbeaten in their last five games. Liverpool were unable to leave west London with three points last term as they played out a six-goal thriller.
Conceding goals continues to be a problem for Jurgen Klopp's side, but it hasn't stopped them winning games. Liverpool have been buoyed by the arrival of Cody Gakpo, who was signed from PSV. The Dutchman was in the stands for the win over Leicester, but this is the first game he's able to play.
There is still a race against time to get the forward registered, which means his debut could be further delayed. Brentford marksman Ivan Toney continues to grab the headlines after his World Cup snub.
The striker was overlooked by Gareth Southgate and responded by scoring the winner at Manchester City. Toney has since netted in the draw with Tottenham and then the win at West Ham, but was stretchered off in the success at London Stadium.
In a positive update for the Bees, manager Thomas Frank suggested he could feature. "It’s good news with Ivan. It’s not a significant injury," he said. "He could potentially be available. There’s nothing wrong with his knee. Without going too much into the details, it’s something with the muscle."
Klopp will be particularly wary of the threat posed by the Brentford frontman if he is fit enough to feature. Speaking ahead of the match, he said: "Ivan Toney is there and takes all the balls or deflects them, their set-pieces are outstanding and it's really tricky to defend them. Set-pieces are a real strength for them. There's not a lot of time but we will use it anyway."
What is your prediction for Brentford versus Liverpool? Have your say in the comments!
When is Brentford vs Liverpool?
The game in west London will kick-off at 5.30pm on January 2. Liverpool have only won one of their three trips to the capital this term - beating Tottenham, drawing with Fulham and losing to Arsenal.
Last season, they conceded the opening goal in this fixture, before overturning that deficit to eventually lead 3-2 thanks to a Curtis Jones strike. Yoane Wissa would score a late equaliser for Brentford, however, as the hosts rescued a point.
How to watch
Fans can watch the game on a variety of Sky channels - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Mix will all show the contest. Build-up will begin at 5pm.
Those who are out and about can stream the match via the Sky Go app on their laptop, tablet or mobile.
Match odds
Brentford 9/2
Draw 17/5
Liverpool 8/15
*Odds provided by Betfred
