Only a month go, when Liverpool was first in the Premier League table, nobody expected that at the beginning of February we will see a different leader. Although Manchester City has one game played more than ‘The Reds’, but if Jurgen Klopp’s proteges unexpectedly loses points for the third time in a row, ‘yellow jersey’ might stick to ‘The Citizens’.
For the another year Liverpool fans claim, that ‘this will be their season’. Finally sealed with being champions of England, what they have been waiting since 1990. A few times in the last 29 years it was expected, that the time for the triumph has come, but at the end of the competition they didn’t cross the T’s and dot the I’s. ‘The Reds’ has lost points and their direct rivals has overtaken them in the table. In the last 10 seasons the first team at Christmas didn’t finish with the trophy only twice – each time it was Liverpool.
It seems like the club from Anfield has the strongest squad so far to reach their ideal goal. It is not so narrow to not replace key players in case of their injuries. However, the steel defence has started to rust after Lovren and Alexander-Arnold got injured. In the last three matches Liverpool conceded 5 goals, what led to draws with Leicester and West Ham.
It was the moment when Manchester City got into action. Their temporary drop in form has been long forgotten and even though their good streak was interrupted by losing to Newcastle, they won with ‘The Reds’ and added another victories, which leveled them with leaders, at least until the weekend. Right after Christmas Klopp’s proteges had only eight goals conceded, no loses and they were seven point ahead of ‘The Citizens’. Now Alisson capitulated 15 times, Liverpool lost to City and what is the most important – if on Saturday Bournemouth comes back home as winners, we will see a new leader, much longer this time.
If this happens, Pep Guardiola’s players, who destroyed their rivals in the league last season, shouldn’t slip away such an opportunity. They have a wide squad, experience and abilities to maintain the first position until the end of the season. On the other hand ‘The Reds’ has already proven, that get such a chance out of hand. This time the challenge for Liverpool is bigger, because there are 13 matches left to play, during which everything can happen. In addition to this, Liverpudlians had a harder match schedule, including an away game with Everton, which will do everything to make life harder to their neighbors. Players from Anfield will have a huge test of nerve in the following months.
[photo: AFP PHOTO/Paul ELLIS/]