Liverpool have threatened to win the Premier League before, only to fall at the final hurdle. That was a good team they have, but this season they appear to be even better, and they appear to have the complete team. We have seen Liverpool play well for a year now, and it is time for them to announce themselves as genuine Premier League title challengers.
Just recently, Klopp went on record to say how well his Liverpool team were playing after beating Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley. He knows they are turning into a very special group, and will certainly be proud of what he has done so far. Having said that, he is yet to guide them to a Premier League title, although one of those may not be too far away.
Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Complete Liverpool Defensive Line
If there was one criticism of Liverpool over the past few years then it has been their defensive play, which simply hasn’t been up to scratch. This has let them down; whether it’s the lack of an organised defence or poor goalkeeping, there has always been a reason for Liverpool to fail because of their defence. All that is about to change.
In January 2018, Liverpool broke the transfer record for a defender by signing Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton, paying £75 million for the centre-half, who is now 27. That is a huge sum of money for anyone, let alone a defender, but so far we have seen that Van Dijk has transformed the Liverpool defence, and is proving to be worth every penny.
Not only does Van Dijk bring his own immense quality to the Liverpool team, but he is an organiser and he wants players around him to play his way. He is improving the play of others by doing this, giving Liverpool another benefit. This is also great for England as they have Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing alongside Van Dijk week in, week out and that is only going to aid their development.
After breaking the transfer record for a defender last winter, Liverpool broke the transfer record for a goalkeeper when they signed Alisson in the summer of 2018 for £65 million. That makes a total of £140 million that they have spent on two defensive players, but they are two moves that could win them the Premier League title.
Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius have both tried to win the number one shirt at Anfield, but neither had the quality to do so, leaving Jurgen Klopp with no choice but to splash the cash once again. While those two had their problems when they were signed, Alisson has none of that and so far he looks set to be a roaring success for The Reds. His style of play may cause the odd error, but it is part of his game and something that Liverpool fans will have to forgive, should it cost them anything.
Do Liverpool Have the Best Front Three in the World?
One area of strength for Liverpool has always been their front three, and you can certainly make a case for them being the best in the world right now. Individually, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are fantastic players and worthy of playing in any Premier League team. However, when they come together, something very special happens that elevates them to a whole new level. When looking at transfer fees paid, Liverpool could have got themselves one of the best bargains in a long time when signing Salah for £36.9 million, a player who would surely be worth over £100 million now.
The chemistry they have, especially Salah and Mane, is something that few players anywhere will ever feel, yet Liverpool have three of them all singing off the same hymn sheet. Perhaps the best quality they have as a threesome is that they don’t really have defined roles in the team. All three can score goals; they can create goals and drop deep if needed or move out wide to create some space. It is special that they can do that, and Liverpool are certainly reaping the rewards right now. Salah played a key part in the victory over Brighton earlier this season, an important game at the time because it sent Liverpool to the top of the league.
By having three exciting players and not really needing to spend big on back up players has allowed Liverpool the luxury of spending so much money on Van Dijk and Alisson. Had they needed to sign another striker there is a question mark as to whether they could have afforded that striker as well as Van Dijk and Alisson. They have slowly built, adding piece after piece and it looks as though the jigsaw may now be complete.
Liverpool are the Only Genuine Challenge to Manchester City
We all watched Manchester City run away with the Premier League title last season and neutral fans will be hoping to see a closer battle this season. After the early parts of the season and seeing what each team has done in pre-season, Liverpool look to be the only credible challenger to Manchester City’s title this season, so we look set for a two horse race.
The bookmakers certainly think that is the case too. As of the 21st September, Manchester City were 8/11 favourites with Liverpool in behind them at 2/1. The next closest team to them is Chelsea, who are priced up at 9/1, and everyone else can be backed at 33/1 or greater. This is exactly how the league looks to a lot of people, and it is going to be a very interesting battle between Manchester City and Liverpool.
Betting on the Premier League is going to really hot up as we get into the season, with punters from all over the world putting their wagers down on who they think will win the title. Oddschecker have a number of no deposit free bet offers available for those who are looking to get involved in the action and back either Manchester City or Liverpool for glory. Some may even fancy Chelsea to sneak up and cause a shock by taking the title away from the big two.
What about the Future Beyond this season for Liverpool?
Although the prospect of winning the league title is an exciting proposition for Liverpool this season, perhaps the most exciting part about their squad is where they are going to be in the future. They have a wealth of talent that is either about to enter into it’s prime, or still young enough to be improving before they get there. That should excite every single Liverpool fan around the world, this is not an experienced team who has one shot at winning a league title, this is a team that could dominate for years to come.
Much of that is thanks to the recruitment plan that Jurgen Klopp has brought to the table. He has signed players at the right age so that they can make an impact right away, but also so that they can make an impact when he wants his team to challenge. A lot of this group will be at their very best shortly, and should they manage to win the league title this season, it is going to take something special to beat them going forward for the next few seasons.
All of this is without even mentioning any further signings that Liverpool could make over the next couple of years. They spent big last season and have done so again this season, what is to say they won’t want to do the same again next season, and the year after? It may not take as much, but If Jurgen Klopp is the manager that many people think he is, it is highly unlikely that he will allow his team to stand still, he will want to keep moving forward with them, regardless of how much success they have.
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