It seems like not that long ago everyone was saying the Premier League title race was a foregone conclusion. After a period of looking like the tightest race in years, as Chelsea set the pace to Liverpool and Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s men turned the tables during a busy festive period and looked dead certs to regain their title and lift the trophy for the fourth time in the last five years.
A slimline squad and the Africa Cup of Nations were suggested to be just two of the issues facing Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool at the turn of the year, and after a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on January 2nd — Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta’s last league game before jetting off on international duty — the Reds were tipped to derail in the English Premier League betting and drop off the tail of Man City.
Yet, Liverpool came out of that tight period impressively unscathed — winning their two Premier League encounters, albeit against Brentford and Crystal Palace, while progressing through two rounds of the FA Cup and booking their place in their first League Cup final since 2016, when they lost to Man City early in Klopp’s tenure. They’ll face Chelsea later this month and they’ll be hoping to end that lengthy domestic cup drought.
But there’s no doubt regaining the Premier League title is still at the top of the German’s priority list. Man City are still comfortable at the top of the table, as they currently sit nine points clear of Liverpool, but the Reds have a game in hand over Guardiola’s side and a victory in that rescheduled game over Leeds United, which was postponed back on Boxing Day, would certainly put a bit more pressure on the current holders.
If the lead at the top of the table is cut to just six points after Leeds’ trip to Anfield on February 23rd, then you better believe that this title race is back on. Interestingly, Liverpool and Man City don’t meet until April 9th, and a lot could happen in that time, but there’s no doubt that it will be a crucial game in the run-in to the end of the season and it could even prove to be another major turning point — especially if any more points are dropped by either side between now and then.
Liverpool fans would have had their hearts in their mouths throughout the entirety of the four-week AFCON, not just because of their star players’ absence, but also concerns surround their fitness. However, Salah and Mané both returned with no injury concerns, much to the relief of everyone at the club, and will be eager to get back firing in a bid to extend Liverpool’s unbeaten league run — which currently stands at four matches.
It’s not just Salah and Mané’s presence that will help spearhead the Reds back into the title race though. Harvey Elliott came back from injury with a bang, scoring against Cardiff City in Liverpool’s 3-1 win in the FA Cup third round, while January arrival Luis Dias has also made an instant impact since the Reds swooped in and stole him from the grasps of Tottenham Hotspur — signing him from Porto for £50 million.
Both of those factors we mentioned earlier — a small squad and losing arguably their two best players to the AFCON — are now no longer an issue. In fact, this is perhaps the best squad Klopp has ever had at his disposal, with the likes of Curtis Jones, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi and Joe Gomez not even making their recent match day squads!
Liverpool can really kick on from here and they have the squad depth to deal with fighting on all fronts for the remainder of the season. They are definitely still in this title race, and while Man City remain the favourites, you simply can’t rule the Reds out. If they can win every game between now and their clash at the Etihad in April, then we could get the title race we so crave for the final six games – or so – of the season!
