Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has challenged his side to prove that they have progressed by taking points from their potential title rivals before Christmas.

The Reds sit second in the Premier League after amassing 16 points from their first seven games, with only Arsenal ahead on goal difference.

Rodgers has welcomed a testing fixture schedule which sees them face Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea before 2013 ends, insisting that it will provide the perfect test of his improving squad.

He told The Mirror: "We have a really tough schedule coming up and we are not getting carried away, we know when you have the big squads, you have an advantage.

"But these are the big games and the top players step up to them. For us, we're happy and excited about what we can achieve. In a lot of those games last year, we played really well, but didn't get always get the results.

"The idea this year is to look to move up a notch and see if we can get the wins this time, as we did last month in the game against Manchester United. The plan is to get through to January and, as long as we are in contention, we can take a look at it again and kick on."

Liverpool must first concentrate on a trip to St James' Park this afternoon, when they face Newcastle United in the weekend's opening Premier League clash.