Injuries are mounting for Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea and their title push is starting to suffer.
Manchester City are currently eight points clear of Chelsea and nine points clear of Liverpool heading into the new year, although the Reds do have a game in hand and will hope to reduce the gap.
This Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Chelsea could be a decisive fixture in the title race and it will become clearer as to who can push City until the very end.
But Thomas Tuchel has already admitted it will be difficult for his side to challenge given their current injury crisis.
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"How should we compete in a title race? Everyone else who has a full squad, everybody in training has the full power to come through this league," he said in his post-match press conference on Wednesday night.
"We would be stupid to think we can do it out of Covid and injuries. Just play and everybody would be stupid to do it without 23 fit players."
The London club only managed a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton and matters were made even worse as both Reece James and Andreas Christensen were forced off through injury.
Thiago Silva is already sidelined and Ben Chilwell has been ruled out for the rest of the season, leaving the current Champions of Europe with a rather makeshift defence.
Jurgen Klopp knows all too well how difficult that is to contend with.
Last season, Liverpool's title defence was hindered largely due to the number of injuries at centre back.
Despite starting the campaign well, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all saw their seasons cut short.
Van Dijk suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in the season, Gomez missed 10 months of action after he underwent surgery to repair a tendon in his knee and Matip was ruled out from February onwards with ankle ligament damage.
The impact was devastating for Liverpool as their form in the new year derailed their title push and left them battling for a place in the top four.
Liverpool lost six consecutive league matches at home, losing to Burnley, Brighton, City, Chelsea, Everton and Fulham at Anfield between January and March.
The defensive injuries were only the tip of the iceberg for the Reds, as Jordan Henderson, Diogo Jota, Thiago, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Fabinho all missed more than 10 games through injury across the campaign.
Klopp rightly cited his depleted squad as a reason for his side's downfall.
"So a football team is like an orchestra where plenty of people work together and if you lose one piece you might be able to still do it, but if you lose two then it becomes difficult," Klopp told Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool's final game of the 2020/21 season.
"It is how I said before this year, with the amount of injuries we have had it was not the year to become champions. No chance. For nobody.
"As good as they are, if City have their three centre-halves out, no [they don't win the league]. Three centre-halves of United, no. For the whole season pretty much too, that is how it is.
"We have fought back a bit, accepted the difficulties and made the best of it, and if we win on Sunday, and if we qualify for the Champions League, then we made the best of it. That is it."
For many, bemoaning injuries was seen as 'excuse' for Liverpool not defending their title.
Despite being down to the bare bones, they were expected to challenge City.
"Liverpool have been so poor, they have got everything deserved,” Former Red Jamie Carragher said on commentary during Liverpool's defeat to Everton last season.
“They can't keep saying 'Virgil van Dijk is out'. I'm sick of saying it myself."
Yet, just a season earlier, it was Pep Guardiola who found himself navigating a challenging season in the absence of key players.
Aymeric Laporte picked up a serious knee injury in September 2019, the immediate response was how costly that could be for them in the title race.
“It’s very difficult for a team like us having injuries, especially if they all happen in the same position on the pitch," City's goalkeeper Ederson said a month after Laporte suffered the injury
“We have other great players who can replace him in that position. Unfortunately, with the injury to John Stones, we have only one natural centre-back."
As it turned out, Liverpool went on to secure their first Premier League title in 30 years that season and they finished 18 points clear of City in second.
It goes to show, even the most expensive and star-studded of squads will struggle in the absence of key players.
'Bad Champions' Liverpool found out the hard way last season. Chelsea are now faced with the same challenges.
