Liverpool's rivals might suggest they have little reason to feel hard-done-by as they sit top of the Premier League by eight points. 

The Reds are looking to extend the gap even further by beating Everton in the Merseyside derby tonight. 

In doing so, however, they kick off a ludicrous schedule of nine games in 26 days. 

That's a game, on average, every 2.8 days and will involve around 11,000 miles of travel. 

Matters have been complicated by the European champions' appearance in the Club World Cup. 

Jurgen Klopp is even planning to field two different teams in two countries in consecutive days, with his side drawn away to Aston Villa a day before they face unconfirmed opposition in the tournament in Doha, Qatar. 

The full schedule looks like this: 

December 4: Everton (H)

December 7: Bournemouth (A)

December 10: Salzburg (A)

December 14: Watford (H)

December 17: Aston Villa (A)

December 18: FIFA Club World Cup

December 21: FIFA Club World Cup

December 26: Leicester (A)

December 29: Wolves (H)

The league-leaders will play in four different competitions between the end of the month - the Premier League, the Carabao Cup, the Club World Cup and the Champions League.

No wonder Klopp tried so desperately to get knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal, but to no avail. Unai Emery was having none of it. 

That is the only competition in which they can afford to rest on their laurels and are expected to field a strongly depleted side against Villa. 

Yet their hopes of retaining the Champions League are under threat and they could get knocked out at the group stages depending on the result against Salzburg. 

There would be no better way to begin their run with a derby victory and history suggests they can look forward to just that. 

The Toffees haven't beaten their bitter rivals since October 2010 and haven't won at Anfield since 1999. 

If Liverpool can continue their unbeaten run as the fixtures pile up over Christmas, they deserve to be champions.