Liverpool sit at the summit of the Premier League table and have emerged as the favourites to win the title at the end of the season. The Merseyside giants look comfortable at the top and with Manchester City and Arsenal struggling, Liverpool’s consistency is standing out. Arne Slot is not counting his chickens yet as the Liverpool manager is aware that there are several twists and turns to come in the latter half of the season. However, his team are looking solid and they could further burnish their credentials next weekend.
Slot has proven his detractors wrong by seamlessly transitioning Liverpool from the Jurgen Klopp era to a new era under his tutelage at Anfield. Liverpool are looking like the favourites to win the Premier League with AI models predicting a more than 50 percent chance of winning the title this season.
Manchester City’s sudden loss of form and Arsenal’s inconsistency have allowed Liverpool to build an eight-point lead at the top. However, the Merseyside giants have themselves been remarkably consistent, dropping just four points in the first 12 games of the season. Liverpool are still wary of potential injury disruptions and an inevitable run of patchy form at some point this season but experts believe they have looked the part as favourites to win the league.
However, the sense of anticipation on Merseyside could reach a fever pitch even before Christmas if Liverpool manage to get a positive result this weekend.
A wounded Manchester City and the potential to open up a massive gap
Manchester City’s current loss of form is unprecedented for many reasons. A run of five defeats on the trot is the worst Pep Guardiola has experienced in his entire managerial career and it is the club’s worst run of results since before they were owned by Sheikh Mansour. The reason the Manchester City side look a bit baffled as neither the club nor the manager has had any such experience in recent memory. A trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool could not have come at a worse time for them.
However, they are still the Manchester City team who have won the last four Premier League titles and are experts in chasing down teams in a title race. It would be typical of them if they find something extra to get back to form and produce a positive result at Anfield.
Can you name the team Liverpool sold these players to?
But a win for Liverpool this weekend will be seismic for the rest of the Premier League. An eight-point lead over Manchester City at the stage of the season is not insignificant. Most teams would be backed to convert this into a title win and given Liverpool’s consistency, it would not be a surprise. However, if Liverpool manage to open up an eleven-point lead over the reigning Champions, it would send shockwaves through the league. It could almost knock Manchester City out of the title race with 2/3rd of the season still left to play. A sixth defeat on the trot for them would not only break the back of their title challenge but knock the stuffing out of them ahead of a very period of games.
Liverpool have a genuine chance of knocking the early-season favourites out of the title race before the Christmas trees start coming up. Arsenal are yet to show the level of consistency needed to challenge for the Premier League this season. Manchester City remain the real threat as they have a penchant for going on long unbeaten runs in the second half of seasons to claw their way back into title races. However, overturning a 12-point result against a Liverpool team that have been remarkably consistency would be a bridge too far even for all of Pep Guardiola’s brilliance.
Even a point at home would be handy for Liverpool as it will keep the lead at eight points but a win would be rocket fuel for their title ambitions. Arsenal were happy to get a point against Manchester City at a crucial juncture last season but it didn’t turn out to be enough.
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be back for the game and the club are being linked with moves for players in January. Liverpool have a real chance of landing a knockout punch to the reigning champions early in the season, even before the winter window opens. They must not miss their shot.
