The Opta Supercomputer says Liverpool now control 85.1 percent of the Premier League's winnings after their 2-0 win over champions Man City on Super Sunday left them nine points clear at the top. So what can stop Arne Slot's team from being crowned champions? this season?
Liverpool's dominant win at Anfield over a City team that had won four consecutive top-flight titles heading into this season gave the Reds a massive 11-point lead over Pep Guardiola's side, while also beating both Arsenal and Chelsea are nine points clear as we enter the busy Christmas period – the second largest lead at this stage of a Premier League season.
Slot was understandably quick to temper expectations after the final whistle on Sunday, saying: “I saw Arsenal yesterday [Saturday] and Chelsea today [Sunday] and I saw City, they will come back because these teams have so much quality. They could go on the same route as us. So we have to stay sharp and focused.”
While also urging caution, Roy Keane – a serial title winner during his time at Man Utd – believes much of the momentum in this season's title race now lies with Liverpool.
“You don't get a league medal in December, but this team will have to take a break,” Keane said on Super Sunday.
So what could derail the Reds' seemingly unstoppable title charge?
'If you think you have it, one day it will collapse'
Sure, everything looks rosy in the Reds' garden at the moment, but things can change very quickly in football. Just ask Man City, who are looking to return to the top of the table after beating Southampton on October 26 and extend their unbeaten league run to 32. games in the process, have not won a match in any competition since falling out of the top four fell.
Liverpool now face two tough games on the road, starting at Newcastle United on Wednesday evening, before getting the first out of the trap at the weekend when they take on city rivals Everton on Saturday afternoon in what is expected to be the final. -ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. And they now only play one league match at Anfield between now and Christmas.
Sean Dyche's side struggled to beat Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool 2-0 at home in April only to end their title hopes despite battling relegation at the time, so this clash will not be too much for the visitors, despite the Toffees struggling with the drop. again just now.
And former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher agrees the Reds' next two games – they now have just one league match at Anfield between now and Christmas – will be crucial to their title hopes this season, tells Sky Sports:
“I think when there's a week of three Premier League games in a week, a lot can change. No disrespect to Man City, they've been great over the last five or six years.”
“But when I looked at this week I was looking at Newcastle on Wednesday night and Everton next Saturday at 12.30.
“That's a quick turnaround. If Liverpool could get through that with four to six points, they're in a great position. Because if I'm an Arsenal player or the manager looking at the next two games that Liverpool have, then they are not easy.” .”
Of course, Liverpool need look no further than Arsenal to remind themselves that a lead of this magnitude is easy to blow, with the Gunners holding an eight-point lead in January 2023 before City stormed back to take the title by five points grabbed. something Mikel Arteta was quick to remind his rivals of recently.
“We have been there and it is extremely difficult to keep this up for 10 months,” said the Arsenal manager. “When you think you have it, one day it collapses.”
Will injuries and suspensions take their toll?
Liverpool are currently suffering the third most injuries of any Premier League team after both Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate knocked on the door late on Wednesday night in their 2-0 win against Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League.
These two players have joined Alisson Becker, among others [hamstring]Konstantinos Tsimikas [ankle]Federico Chiesa [unknown] and Diogo Jota [chest] as all of them are currently unavailable for Slot, although the hope is that the former will be suitable for the position soon now that he has returned to training.
Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister [and Konate] has also racked up four bookings so far this season, meaning the key Argentine midfielder is now one warning away from being banned for two league matches.
However, it is in defense that Slot will be most concerned, with Liverpool currently without two of their first-choice backlines, while both backup full-backs are also sidelined, meaning the likes of captain Virgil van Dijk, Andy could be injured . Robertson, or the recently fit-again Trent Alexander Arnold, would leave the Dutchman solely to Jarell Quansah, who replaced the latter as defensive cover for the final quarter against City.
“I think it will be different if they lose Salah or Van Dijk,” Micah Richards said on Super Sunday. “We were talking about the big players showing up. I already said it [Martin] Odegaard and [Bukayo] Saka for Arsenal.
“Obviously Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne are for Man City. I think if you lose Van Dijk and Salah things become very different. If they stay fit then it is very difficult for everyone else.”
Carragher, meanwhile, agrees that if his former side were to suffer further injuries at the back, it could impact their current momentum.
“Just look at the injuries,” he said. “I think if they were to get one or two more injuries they would definitely have a problem defensively. A real problem could be that they might have to put a midfielder, a full back, there.”
Efforts to compete on four fronts
Slot's record-breaking start to his reign with the Reds has been so impressive that Liverpool are still competing on all four fronts, but such success comes with its own challenges.
It means the Reds now face a busy fixture list, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Southampton on December 18, and three more UEFA Champions League games before they enter the knockout stages of the competition in the spring and kick-off of the competition. of the FA Cup in January.
And all this in addition to crucial league matches this winter, meaning Slot will now have to be perfect with his team selections, making full use of a squad that is starting to feel the bite of injuries, while also hoping that his medical team – led by a new head of the physical department – performance Ruben Peeters – can get its other stars back to full fitness as quickly as possible.
Klopp's Liverpool faced a similar conundrum in their 2019/20 title-winning season, so much so that they ultimately had to make a decision between playing their strongest line-up at the Club World Cup while fielding a team of young players that lost 5- 0 at Aston Villa in the League Cup quarter-final.
Liverpool also ultimately ran out of steam trying to win the historic Quadruples in 2021/22 and last season, with Carragher suggesting Slot should only now be his first choice in top-flight and European fixtures.
“Domestic cup matches [could be a problem]Carragher said on Super Sunday. 'Last season and a few years before that Liverpool, at this stage of the season we are talking about four trophies.
“And one season they ended up winning the two domestic cups but losing the Champions League final and losing the Premier League on the last day to City.
“Last season I was talking about the Europa League. They won the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup match against Manchester United. In some ways the season was just almost over. Now you can't deliberately lose games or try not to do so well do it if you can.” .
“You're Liverpool, you have to play in every competition. But if I were to give the manager any advice, I wouldn't play any first-team player in domestic cup competitions because no one has ever won four trophies in a season before.” because it's almost impossible.
“That could be a problem for them. If they could only concentrate on the league and the Champions League, I think they should take a break.”
Under pressure: can the Reds lose their nerve?
Liverpool started this season without anyone tipping them for the title following Klopp's departure last summer, meaning they have flown under the radar in many ways until now.
“This season they have been under the radar because a lot of people were talking about City and Arsenal fighting for the title and not so much about Liverpool, so I think that has helped them in a way, they have had less pressure.” on their shoulders,” City striker Phil Foden said recently.
“There is still a long way to go and we know how quickly this can change.”
The England international is right and since Liverpool has only lost one match in all competitions this season and has hardly fallen behind in any match, Slot et al. have not really had to deal with pressure.
So it will be interesting to see how the seemingly icy Dutchman reacts when the Reds start losing games.
Distraction off the field
Salah and Van Dijk were once again asked about their futures at Anfield in the aftermath of Liverpool's victory against City, with the former's statement 'we'll see what happens' causing further consternation among the club's fanbase.
And with both players, as well as Alexander-Arnold – who can all talk to foreign suitors from January 1 – still need to agree new deals at Anfield, with their current contracts set to expire at the end of this season, this is a distraction beyond the field Slot would really need it now,
“All I ask is that Salah does not come out after every match and talk about his own situation,” Carragher said in response to the Egypt international's comments, but one thing is certain: the Liverpool manager will not want that this situation occurs. whatever impact on the Reds' title challenge.
Title-winning experience
While Liverpool can still field the full title-winning defense of four years ago, as well as Curtis Jones and Salah further up the pitch, none of their other first-team squad have any experience of winning the Premier League (although other players have won titles in have won abroad).
Slot also has a limited title-winning pedigree behind him, although he did guide Feyenoord to the Eredivisie crown in 2022/23 and as City have shown in recent seasons, and conversely Arsenal too, there is no substitute for him successfully doing so has gotten over. title-winning line.
However, the Reds will be hoping that their winning momentum will take them across the finish line next May, just like it did five years ago.
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