Liverpool and Man Utd have massive advantage over rivals after international break

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Liverpool and Manchester United may have an added advantage over their Premier League rivals when the international break comes to an end. The clubs will return to top-flight action next weekend as the final two-week hiatus of the calendar year draws to a close.

United were held to a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, while Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by title rivals Manchester City . Those results leave the Red Devils and the Anfield outfit separated by just a single point in the Premier League table after 11 matches have been played.

Liverpool have seen their title hopes severely dented over the last few weeks with five defeats across their last six Premier League matches. United have climbed up to seventh place in the table and will have ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League this term.

The return of top-flight football will see both Liverpool and United be determined to return to winning ways, having failed to secure all three points in their previous fixtures. The upcoming run of matches could offer both clubs a major boost.

Sky Sports have compiled a list of which clubs have the most and least difficult run of fixtures over the next few weeks. The latest report states that United have the easiest run, while Liverpool and close behind with the second-most straightforward run of fixtures.

United will play teams that are currently 13th ( Everton ), 10th ( Crystal Palace ), 18th ( West Ham ), 20th ( Wolves ) and ninth ( Bournemouth ) across their next five fixtures. Liverpool's fixture list is marginally easier, with the reigning champions taking on teams in 19th ( Nottingham Forest ), 18th (West Ham), fourth ( Sunderland ), 16th ( Leeds United ) and 11th ( Brighton ).

Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League table with a seven-point lead over United in seventh, and are eight points ahead of Liverpool in eighth. The Gunners are four points ahead of second-placed Man City with the November international break nearly at its conclusion.

This weekend will see Liverpool take on 19th-placed Forest at Anfield, which will also see former Everton manager Sean Dyche return to Merseyside. United will also take on a Merseyside club as they host Everton in Monday Night Football , a game which will see former Red Devils boss David Moyes return to Manchester to be in the opposition dugout at Old Trafford.

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After the defeat to City, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: "The last thing I should speak about is the title race. We have to focus on getting results.

"Result after result after result before we can even think about that. The reality is that we are eighth. One team is quite far ahead, although City are now four points away.

"I said last season, many times, the best way to judge the table is after 38 games. The next best way is to judge it after 19 games. The last thing we should be focusing on is the title race. We have to improve, that’s obvious."

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.