Liverpool’s 2 -1 loss against Crystal Palace last Sunday was a hard fact to accept for fans of the club.
I mean, Liverpool is at the third position currently in the English Premier League standings, while Crystal Palace is struggling to avoid relegation zone! However, anyone who follows the club closely will notice that this is not the first time that something like this has happened this season.
Liverpool F.C. has actually put forward quite a number of disappointing performances against teams from the bottom half of the table in the last few months. Let’s take a look at the situation as it stands now to understand what’s going on in here.
The Surprising and Disappointing Stats
Liverpool has only lost six times in the league so far and all of those losses have come against teams that were placed somewhere in-between the 11th and the 20th positions on the league table. Liverpool has been defeated by Burnley, Bournemouth, Swansea City, Hull City, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace so far, and as you can see from the names, none of these teams are even in the top ten right now. There’s even Swansea City on that list and that’s disturbing! Liverpool has also drawn a few matches against the weakest of the teams in the league, and that’s not a comforting fact either.
The League Table Standings
Something that worries me is that Liverpool has already played two matches more (34) than the rest of the teams in the top four (32). With just four games left, there’s a chance for them to slip a few places down by the end of this season and lose their spot in the Champions League for the next season. Manchester United is looking good after securing an away win (2-1) against Burnley on the same day that Liverpool conceded two goals from Crystal Palace.
The Last Four Games
There are only four games left for The Reds now and they need to seize every point they can with both hands (and legs). All teams in the top five have a theoretical chance to grab 18 points each, except Liverpool. However, it is possible for The Reds to grab most of the remaining 12 points and confirm their position in the Champions League because they have relatively easy matches ahead of them. Both the games against Southampton and Middlesbrough are at home and the two away games against Watford and West Ham United shouldn’t be too tough either. However, if recent history is anything to go by, Liverpool definitely needs to buck up and face their seemingly weaker opponents with more seriousness and grit than before.
Six losses to teams at the bottom of the league in one season is a heartbreaking and annoying fact to accept for a fan who even has his iPhone cases customized with the Liverpool F.C. logo to show support for his team! Nevertheless, the team is still holding its 3rd position with Manchester City breathing down its neck.
Let’s just hope that lady luck is on our side for the rest of the matches this season.