Liverpool are due to play only four home Premier League games in the next four months

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In a season proving stranger than almost any other, little should surprise Liverpool supporters.

But the Anfield regulars who wandered home after watchingJurgen Kloppsside end their pre-World Cup programme with victory over Southampton on Saturday perhaps did so without the knowledge they wont be returning many times during the next four months.

After the six-week shutdown for the finals in Qatar,Liverpoolare at present scheduled to play just five home games before the visit of Fulham, currently slated for Saturday, March 18.

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At least the games are notable. After the latest return of Brendan Rodgers with Leicester City on December 30, there is a January clash with Chelsea, February matches against Everton and Real Madrid, and a March blockbuster against Manchester United.

There could, of course, be more during that period depending on progress in the Carabao Cup and where the FA Cup third round draw and possibly beyond takes Klopp and his players. Beyond dispute, though, is Liverpool play only four home Premier League games in that period, with six of their next nine top-flight games being away.

For a side that only secured their first league victory on the road less than a fortnight ago with a 2-1 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur - ending their longest wait for such a triumph since the start of the season in 16 years - banishing any lingering travel sickness in the New Year will most likely determine if they can realistically challenge for a top-four berth during the final third of the campaign.

Even allowing for the postponements of the September games at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and away to Chelsea, the schedule during the first part of the season was always weighted towards Liverpool having played two more home games before the World Cup shutdown.

Seven points have been dropped in their eight Anfield games. The real concern, however, has been an away return of just five points from six matches, even if there have been mitigating circumstances given the Reds have been sent to either promoted teams (Fulham, Nottingham Forest) or traditional rivals (Manchester United, Everton, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur).

One of the reasons why the Leeds defeat at Anfield the other week hurt so much was because our home form had been so good, says Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson. Unfortunately the away performances had been poor in terms of picking up points. It started with the first game of the season when we dropped a couple of points away to Fulham. That can happen but then we have been beaten off Man United and Arsenal and dropped points in a couple of others too, such as Everton, so the away form has not been good enough.

When youre trying to climb the league you have to win your home games and you also have to win your away games - you cant just pick and choose.

It was nice to get that first away win ticked off and hopefully it will give us the confidence to now go and attack every other away game. It had to start somewhere and hopefully it started (at Tottenham).

In the first half we were excellent on the ball, probably the best weve been all season, just with the way we moved it and caused them problems. In the second half we saw a different side of us and I thought we were excellent out of possession. Having not won away from home, we could have easily crumbled but we used our experience, brought on some really good subs and stood up to the challenge.

Liverpool are going to need more of that steel when their Premier League road trips resume on Boxing Day at Aston Villa.

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