Liverpool’s title chances this season
Even though they sit third in the Premier League standings, two points behind pacesetters Chelsea, Liverpool are a team on fire.
A brace of 4-0 home victories over Southampton and Arsenal in the wake of the international break has underlined why the Reds are one of the very best in the world.
Jurgen Klopp’s high-flying scoring machine has netted 2+ goals in each of their last 17 matches in all competitions, a feat second to none across Europe’s top-five leagues.
After a year of suffering, Liverpool again look like the best version of themselves, a true force to be reckoned with and a genuine title candidate in the Premier League.
The bookmakers favour Liverpool to make a strong challenge in Europe and in the League, with favourable betting odds for winning either competition. One of the most popular betting operators in Vietnam, Bongdaso, puts Liverpool ahead of Man City in challenging for the league title.
Whatever the result come May 2022, Liverpool will be there or thereabouts.
Mercurial attack
Since taking charge of Liverpool in 2015, Klopp has made utmost efforts to restore attacking, eye-pleasing football at Anfield.
Season after season, the Germans attacking-minded philosophy has been instilled in the minds of the Reds’ players, shaping up one of the most prolific generations in the club’s recent history.
Having the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at his disposal has its benefits, but the duo is just a spearhead of one of the sharpest bayonets in European football.
After a bit of a blunt 2020/21 season, Klopp has pieced things together again this term.
Salah and Mane have hit their stride, while Diogo Jota complemented Klopp’s free-scoring attacking trio in the absence of Roberto Firmino with quality and dignity.
Liverpool have scored a league-high 39 goals in the Premier League this season, averaging 3.0 goals per match, with only Bayern Munich beating that record across Europe’s top-five divisions.
Much of the credit for such an intimidating attacking output goes to the likes of Salah and Mane, with the former topping the scoring charts in the Premier League with 11 goals and eight assists.
But the entire team has enabled the standout duo to work their magic up top.
Thiago Alcantara – an unknown entity
Fresh from playing a prominent role in Bayern Munich’s title-winning Champions League campaign in 2019/20, Thiago Alcantara left the Bundesliga powerhouse to link up with Liverpool in summer 2020.
The ex-Barcelona midfielder has landed at Anfield, carrying a reputation as one of Europe’s finest playmakers but failed to put his virtues on display last season.
However, after enduring an underwhelming debut Premier League campaign, the 30-year-old looks to be returning to his best this term.
Last week was arguably Thiago’s best since joining the Reds, as he scored against Porto and Southampton in the Champions League and Premier League, respectively.
Liverpool’s Premier League rivals know what they can expect from the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho – the former can pass, the latter can defend.
That’s where Thiago comes into play. The Spaniard’s playmaking skills, including unparalleled vision and pinpoint passing, are off the charts when he is atop his game.
At the same time, he is not a stranger to tackling and dropping deep in the midfield to provide additional cover to the backline.
If Thiago can maintain his phenomenal form and stay prone to injuries, he could be Klopp’s trump card in a seemingly evenly-contested Premier League race.
Anfield is a fortress again
A run of six consecutive Premier League defeats at Anfield between January and March played a destructive role in Liverpool’s futile efforts to defend the crown last season.
Playing behind closed doors had a devastating impact on the Reds’ home performances in 2020/21, as witnessed by the fact that they lost more home league matches across those two months than in Klopp’s previous five years in charge combined.
But with fans back in attendance, Anfield has become a fortress again, with the Merseysideiders going unbeaten in their last 16 home outings in all competitions.
Making light work of their opponents on home turf was the main ingredient of Liverpool’s title-winning 2019/20 campaign.
Given Liverpool’s jaw-dropping home showings this season, the ongoing Premier League campaign is already reminiscent of the famous 2019/20.