Liverpool have it all to do if they are to win the Premier League title this season.
But all hope is not lost just yet.
The Reds are nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who have played one game more.
That will be two by the time Jurgen Klopp's third-placed side kick-off their crucial clash at second-placed Chelsea on Sunday, given City head to Arsenal in the Saturday lunch-time kick-off.
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Recent results have created a pessimistic view among a proportion of Liverpool supporters on how the campaign could pan out, and if Pep Guardiola's men win at the Emirates Stadium, the mood is unlikely to improve.
The Reds have picked up just a single point from their last two league matches, which saw them held to a draw away at Tottenham Hotspur and taste defeat at the hands of Leicester City.
Prior to those two games, Liverpool had won six Premier League matches on the bounce and eight in all competitions.
And in order for Liverpool to have a chance of catching Man City, they will have to go on a similar run over the next couple of months. In fact, their manager Klopp has said they will have to be 'perfect'.
That may seem like a near-impossible task given what’s in store for the Reds throughout the majority of January and early February.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita will all depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next week, meaning they are set to miss a handful of games for Liverpool.
Given that Salah is the Reds' and the Premier League’s top scorer this term, losing him for any length of time is sure to provoke negative emotions among Kopites.
Despite this, what fans should be able to fall back on is previous adversity conquered by Klopp and his players.
Last season, for example, when all looked lost, Liverpool went on a 10-game unbeaten run at the end of the league season to finish third and qualify for the Champions League.
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This was without any recognised senior centre-backs, with Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams proving themselves to be cult heroes at Anfield.
However, it cannot be argued that taking Salah and Mane’s goals out of the team will leave a vast gulf.
Roberto Firmino has six goals this season but has had two stints in the treatment room with injuries already.
Takumi Minamino is on the sidelines with 'muscle soreness' but does have five goals to his name.
And then there’s Divock Origi, who is also unavailable through injury but has already rescued points for Liverpool against Wolves.
Plus, we haven’t even mentioned Diogo Jota, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions in 2021/22 already, including 10 in the Premier League.
If Liverpool can get Origi and Minamino fit, then that duo combined with Firmino and Jota gives them a fighting chance of battling through January and early February until Salah and Mane’s return.
And even though we are only one day into the New Year, the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Man City on April 9 is likely to already be in the Reds' minds.
If Liverpool can go into that match no more than a couple of points behind City, and win at the home of the defending champions, then there’s still every chance of winning their second Premier League title under Klopp.
It’s all ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’ at the moment, but there’s still plenty of reasons to be optimistic that the Reds an still walk away from this season with the biggest prize.
