Gerard Houllier's bid to reshape Liverpool into a more attacking side goes on trial when Arsenal visit Anfield today.
Houllier has backed away from comments he made after last weekend's defeat by Charlton that the game would "make or break" Liverpool's season.
But with his side already six points adrift of the Premiership leaders, the Frenchman is painfully aware that another defeat will inevitably trigger a fresh round of questioning of his ability to restore the club to its former glory.
Last season's failure to clinch a Champions League spot was a severe blow to both club and manager and Houllier has reacted by attempting to foster a more adventurous style built around the creative capacity of his most significant summer signing, Harry Kewell.
To date it has not been an unqualified success. While the Australian winger has showed only flashes of his match-winning ability, Liverpool's normally solid defense has found itself subject to scrutiny that spilled over in to out-and-out criticism over the three goals conceded at Charlton.
Houllier remains confident that his side are on the right track but is pragmatic enough to recognize that the fans will be looking for tangible evidence of that assertion today.
"Whatever the result, it is a game where we have to perform," he said. "We want to show what we can do and confirm what we have been doing so far this season.
"To me the Charlton result was a blip. If we had been poor down there I would have been concerned. We just have to keep going and keep doing what we believe in."
Arsenal travel to Liverpool on the back of a tiring midweek Champions League excursion to Moscow but should be bolstered by the return to action of England defender Sol Campbell, who is back in training after several days off following the death of his father.
Any slip-ups by Arsenal could allow Manchester United to go top, provided Sir Alex Ferguson emerges victorious from his Old Trafford reunion with his former loyal servant Steve Bruce, now in charge of a Birmingham side that have made a flying start to their second campaign back in the top flight.
Birmingham currently occupy fourth spot in the table and Bruce's side has evolved into an outfit that is notoriously difficult to beat, although the likely absence of Robbie Savage, who has an Achilles problem, could hamper them today.
Chelsea travel to Middlesbrough on Sunday aiming to bury the memory of a 2-0 home defeat by Besiktas in the Champions League.
The reverse was Chelsea's first loss since Roman Abramovich began injecting his millions into the club and manager Claudio Ranieri knows his new boss will not accept too many more setbacks.
"I expect a big reaction on Sunday," Ranieri said. "We have strong character and I am sure we will show it."
Ranieri's confidence that they can put their midweek blip behind them is shared by his captain, Marcel Desailly. "That is the good thing about football sometimes, straight away you have the chance to show that this was just one bad moment."
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