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Finding themselves in rather rarefied air over Christmas and with only two games left before the season's half-way point, much of Liverpool's largely unexpected success so far this season is thanks to a home record comprising eight wins and a loss. By comparison, Liverpool's first nine home games last season saw the club with just three wins to go along with three draws and three losses.
"That's the idea," said Joe Allen of Liverpool's attempts to turn Anfield back into a daunting prospect for visiting sides this season. "Every team wants their home ground to be like that. To have Anfield almost like a fortress, like it used to be, is our aim and we feel we're getting there now. Not just this season but at the back end of last season as well, we really started gaining that confidence and belief in what we're trying to do and the way we're trying to play."
With their next two matches on the road against sides that have similarly made their home stadium something of a fortress, Liverpool face a tough end to the month. Manchester City and Chelsea are both undefeated at home, though Liverpool's record of three wins, three draws, and two losses on the road isn't terrible—it's sixth best in the Premier League—and while the Anfield crowd won't be there to help, Allen hopes the side's current form will give Liverpool the confidence to earn points.
"We always knew a victory today would be great to build momentum and confidence going into what we know are two tough away games," he added. "Job done and now we can go into those games looking forward to picking up good results."
