It’s been a season of inconsistency so far when it comes to Liverpool’s Premier League form. They’ve had some good results but mixed into that they have dropped points against sides that they should have been beating, as well as conceding a lot of preventable goals along the way. Jurgen Klopp’s charges are currently only 3 points adrift of 4th placed Chelsea, so could they once again finish inside the top 4 or will it be too big of an ask this time round?
As it stands, it seems that the Premier League title is more than likely going to end up in Manchester, with the majority of people betting City will be the victors. For sure, many feel that the top two will continue to be occupied by City and United right through until the end of the season, with Spurs and Chelsea likely to be battling it out for third. This really leaves Arsenal and Liverpool as outsiders to claim one of the top 4 berths. As things stand though, things are extremely tight points wise between 3rd and 6th after 10 games played.
What could be a telling factor is how well the clubs looking to secure Champions League football operate within the next transfer window and it’s going to be especially important for Jurgen Klopp and his side. Liverpool don’t look far off being real contenders, especially with the attacking flair and pace that they possess but it’s not really in the final third where they’re questionable, it’s at the back.
If Liverpool are to make the top 4, they surely need to strengthen at centre half as a priority. It looked to be an area that they were certain to add reinforcements to over the summer but a move for Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk failed to materialise and Mamadou Sakho departed to join Palace. According to statistics provided by sports betting operator Unibet, Liverpool have the worst defensive record of any side in the top 6 and it’s the fact that they concede preventable goals, largely down to individual errors, that is ultimately stopping them progress.
If they can get the defense and maybe even the goalkeeping department strengthened by adding players of real quality, not just stop gaps, they would be seen as real contenders for a top 4 finish. The attacking threat that the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah possess is unrivalled in the Premier League because they have so much pace and energy. Liverpool can cause any side problems but it’s imperative that they have a strong base to work from.
Liverpool’s next run of games will be telling as even though they are due to face Chelsea and Arsenal in the run up to Christmas, a lot of the games they will look at and see themselves as betting favourites. They have been guilty of dropping unnecessary points already this campaign but if they can cut that out, see themselves through ‘til the transfer window and then strengthen their leaky defense, the picture could look a lot different come May.