Liverpool FC will go into their game with Blackburn Rovers with an air of confidence, following a good start to the New Year.
Manager Roy Hodgson will inevitably be looking for three points at Ewood Park to give the club that much needed confidence to drive on up the table and onto a winning run of form.
With the Reds lying in ninth place, goal difference and two games in hand separates them from 12th place Rovers, who crashed to a 3-0 loss at The Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool are aiming to record their sixth Barclays Premier League double over Rovers, following their 2-1 win in the meeting at Anfield back in October. Second half goals from Kyrgiakos and Torres saw the Reds collect three points and they will be hoping to do the same at Ewood Park.
The travelling Liverpool faithful will also be buoyed by the fact that Blackburn's last home Premier League win over Liverpool occurred four seasons ago, and is in fact the only defeat Liverpool have suffered at Ewood in 14 years. Current West Ham striker Benni McCarthy scored the only goal of the game.
Key players including Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres could be rested ahead of the eagerly anticipated FA Cup clash with rivals Manchester United this Sunday and as a special precaution for this month's inevitable fixture pile-up due to ice and snow in December.
Gerrard will be itching to play a part in the game against Rovers however, as his appearance would mark his 550th game for the club, making him only the 10th player in LFC history to accomplish this impressive milestone.
Hodgson has already told Liverpoolfc.tv that he hopes: 'That the ones who just seem to keep going - the Duracell bunnies; the Kuyts, the Lucas Leivas of this world - can keep us going and give me a chance of giving a rest to the others."
The Reds boss went on to say that his squad is relatively injury free and he has a good selection of players to choose from, a factor he says other teams in the Premier League may not be so fortunate to have.
Whatever Liverpool's line-up may be, the team will have to watch out for the talent of New Zealand born defender Ryan Nelsen, who has scored for Rovers in two of their last three home games.
The in-form Kiwi centre-back will be looking to make it three in four against the Reds and is a bookmaker's favourite to net the opening goal at Ewood.
Both teams have welcomed in the New Year with a look to starting afresh on and off the pitch, a win for Liverpool against Bolton got the Reds off to a good start in 2011, whilst Blackburn Rovers have new owners and potentially a new full time manager in the shape of Steve Kean.
