Liverpool will reclaim their spot at the summit of the Premier League with victory at home against bottom-placed club Sheffield United this evening, with Arsenal a point ahead having played a game more following their win over Luton Town.
It's truly been a season of wonder for Liverpool, who have been fuelled in their pursuit of silverware by the poignancy of Jurgen Klopp's farewell parade, having already claimed the Carabao Cup in February.
With three games upcoming in eight days for the Reds, Klopp will likely make some tweaks after battling to a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United looming on Sunday.
Liverpool have had torrid luck on the injury front this season but have combatted such misfortune expertly, players stepping up and youth prospects stepping into the senior set-up to produce some wonderful performances.
The severity of the crisis has lessened of late but there remains a host of first-team stars sidelined.
Liverpool team news
In what is a massive boost for the Anfield side, Curtis Jones has been cleared after spending a month-and-a-half on the sidelines with an ankle problem, with Andy Robertson also in contention after missing out against the Seagulls with an issue sustained on international duty with Scotland.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are nearing a comeback but won't return to full team training until next week, with Alisson Becker following soon after. Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain longer-term absentees.
Defensive midfielder Wataru Endo appears to have picked up a knock and Klopp said he needs to be assessed ahead of the clash against the Blades.
With the trip to Theatre of Dreams only days away, Klopp will be keen to rotate some of his fit-and-firing phenoms too, with Darwin Nunez one of the likely players to move to the bench later on.
Darwin Nunez's season in numbers
Nunez arrived on Merseyside with a weight of expectation after joining Liverpool from Benfica in a club-record £85m transfer in 2022, but he finished his maiden campaign in England with more questions than answers.
Dynamic and multi-dimensional in his attacking efforts, the Uruguay international only scored nine goals in the Premier League and missed a whopping 20 big chances, with his profligacy leading to pundits like Frank McAvennie claiming that he "can't handle" playing for the Reds.
There was promise, such promise, in these performances, and it's important to remember that he arrived young and raw at a testing time in Liverpool's recent history, the squad slumping and the potency and steel of the midfield non-existent. Nunez has taken the shards of quality and sculpted a new lofty height of success this season.
Indeed, the 24-year-old maverick has scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions for his teammates this season, despite starting just 28 games.
As per FBref, he now ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 10% for tackles.
Matches played
29
27
Starts
19
18
Goals
0.48
0.54
Assists
0.16
0.38
Shots taken
4.46
4.74
Shot-creating actions
2.87
3.70
Progressive passes
1.54
2.50
Progressive carries
3.24
2.55
Successful take-ons
0.96
0.65
Ball recoveries
2.34
2.72
Tackles
0.59
1.09
Nunez just keeps on trying. The best players are not those who succeed without fail but those who fall short but push forward through adversity and dire straits to emerge victorious.
He's made something of a habit of pushing and poking opponents relentlessly in this regard, and while he's become an inherent part of Liverpool's offensive line, Nunez must be rested ahead of the Old Trafford trip.
Especially when there's a fine replacement in Cody Gakpo to serve in his stead. However, the Netherlands international needs to come up with a good display after suffering in form across recent fixtures.
Cody Gakpo must be unleashed vs Sheffield United
Gakpo has been comparatively clinical this season and has been used across a range of different roles, perhaps a bit of a victim of his own versatility, unable to quite hit the rich vein of form that supporters have anticipated.
Centre-forward
20
9
3
Left winger
8
3
2
Right winger
7
1
0
Central midfield
7
0
0
Take a look at the table. What do you see? Here is a player who has been playing with tactical flexibility that James Milner would tip his hat to, and through all of this Gakpo has bagged 13 goals during his first full campaign at the club, having started 25 matches.
Moreover, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 4% for tackles per 90.
It's quite the spread of skills, but Gakpo's performances on the pitch do leave something to be desired, particularly poor when Liverpool fell to defeat against Manchester United before the international break, branded with a 3/10 match rating by Independent's Jamie Braidwood.
His natural finishing instinct is all well and good, but to succeed at Liverpool, competing against high-level forwards such as Nunez, Mohamed Salah and co, Gakpo will need to prove that he can make a real impact when he is provided with a starting berth.
Of course, he's done this many times already but now he must bring it all together, prove himself the dynamo that enhances Liverpool's team.
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If he flatters to deceive against lowly Sheffield United it is hard to envisage Klopp handing him a prominent role across the business end of the campaign.
It's a big opportunity, but Gakpo – who is now valued at a remarkable £86m, according to CIES Football Observatory – has demonstrated his ability to pop up when it matters and you wouldn't put it past him to lift himself back toward his finest form.