Plenty of the chat across the Premier League title race has presupposed for the reason that summer time that it’ll, in some unspecified time in the future, boil all the way down to Manchester Metropolis vs Arsenal.
There’s good cause for that: they’ve been rivals to carry the trophy for the previous two seasons, with Arsenal getting stronger and stronger below Mikel Arteta. Seven video games into the season, each stay unbeaten with 5 wins and 7 factors, having shared a dramatic 2-2 draw already.
Solely neither Metropolis nor Arsenal are at the moment prime of the desk. That honour at the moment belongs to Liverpool – and over the following few weeks, we’ll discover out whether or not that evaluation was right, or whether or not Liverpool needs to be properly and really inserted into dialog as professional title contenders.
Arne Slot set for prolonged litmus take a look at of Liverpool’s stage
Arne Slot has had an ideal begin to life at Liverpool – however has he actually been examined but? (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The title race a three-way for a lot of final season, in fact: firstly of April they sat prime of the desk, two factors forward of Arsenal and three forward of Metropolis, with simply eight league video games left to play. They’d already gained the League Cup and have been hopeful of including the Europa League to it.
Then the wheels got here off. Having dropped simply 20 factors of their first 30 video games, Liverpool dropped 12 within the closing run-in, together with a house defeat to Crystal Palace and a derby defeat away to distressed Everton.
Liverpool suffered a late-season collapse final time period after being prime of the desk in early April
In Europe, Liverpool have been completely humbled at house to Atalanta to exit on the quarter-final stage. Manchester United had already dumped them out of the FA Cup. What was meant to be a wonderful farewell for Jurgen Klopp ended with him ending as quietly as he was ever more likely to.
Their common sense of vulnerability and inconsistency – not helped by vital damage issues final season – meant that the final expectation going into the summer time was that Liverpool would have a good transitional season below the brand new administration of Arne Slot.
It will absolutely take a little bit of time for Liverpool to get used to the Dutchman’s type, in addition to bedding in new signings from what may very well be a summer time of overhaul. Neither of these issues have occurred.
Despite – or maybe due to – their quiet summer time switch window, it is a different-looking Liverpool: much less flesh, extra organised, extra constant. They’ve misplaced only one sport in all competitions, gained all the remaining, and conceded simply 4 objectives in ten video games.
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The large asterisk subsequent to Liverpool’s identify – and a minimum of a part of the explanation they nonetheless lag a bit approach behind neck-and-neck Metropolis and Arsenal within the bookies odds for the title
That’s about to alter, massive time. Liverpool will host fourth-placed Chelsea on Sunday of their greatest take a look at but of their defensive prowess, adopted by a visit to Arsenal subsequent weekend, visits from Brighton and Aston Villa – to say nothing of their commitments within the League Cup and Champions League.
On the opposite facet of the November worldwide break, they’ve the relative respite of a visit to Southampton, adopted by a punishing run of 4 video games in 11 days in opposition to Actual Madrid, Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle and Everton.
The Chelsea sport will give us our first actual indication – within the league, a minimum of – of what stage Liverpool are literally at this season. And with out Alisson, at that.
Chelsea can be comfortably probably the most intimidating facet Liverpool have confronted within the league but this season (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
There are cautionary tales for Liverpool about not getting too carried away. This time final yr, Tottenham have been prime of the desk and unbeaten; they gained their subsequent two, then did not win once more till mid-December and completed fifth.
This time two years in the past, Arsenal sat 4 factors away from Manchester Metropolis on the prime of the desk. They ended the season 5 factors behind their new rivals.
Then-reigning champions Liverpool have been prime of the desk after seven video games in 2020/21, too, after a bizarre begin to the season that had Leicester second, Everton fourth and Southampton fifth. Then Klopp’s facet began drawing too many video games, then dropping with alarming regularity; they completed third, 17 factors behind new champions Metropolis.
No one ever sings songs about having been prime of the desk in mid-October. Are they the true deal, there to remain on the prime finish of the desk for the lengthy haul? Or are their ambitions restricted to being one of the best of the remaining as soon as extra?
