After 16 rounds of Premier League games, Liverpool temporarily tops the standings. The Red Army has shown great resilience under Klopp. Regarding his old club, Liverpool legend Carragher expressed his views in a column in the “Daily Telegraph”.
Although still looking shaky at times, Klopp’s side are now top of the table and have the opportunity to make a strong statement about their intentions. However, Liverpool don’t look like they’re going to be champions just yet, and we’re waiting for a strong performance from Klopp’s rebuilding side.
Liverpool have a chance to do just that this month, with Manchester United set to be a hugely important game regardless of the circumstances of both clubs, with Arsenal following next weekend. The crucial moments are coming and we will have a clearer idea of just how good Liverpool are and what they can achieve this season.
Klopp will be the first to admit that the team needs to produce more convincing performances. The standings illustrate one aspect, but I see another aspect. The balance of Liverpool’s lineup is still not good enough, and it is difficult to imagine them without a genuine defensive midfielder.
Liverpool’s form away from home has been inconsistent and they have managed some wins or draws in difficult circumstances. Although a lot of people are starting to talk about Liverpool 2.0, for me the core of the team is still version 1.0.
Van Dijk, Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah are the backbone of Liverpool’s win in the Premier League in 2020, and they still shoulder the important task now. Recent signings like Szoboszlai and the likes of Gakpo and Nunez, both of whom have joined Liverpool in the past 18 months, have shown promising signs, but they haven’t been able to match the performance of Firmino and Mane week in and week out in their prime. Play an important role.
Liverpool’s much-talked-about new midfield has yet to fully hit its stride, with the trio of Szoboszlai, McAllister and Hrafenbecher’s highlights appearing more in certain moments than back-to-back in the game. In order for the team to remain at the top of the table, this must change.
For Liverpool, the top priority this season is to return to the Champions League, not to close the 22-point gap with treble winners Manchester City and surpass them. The feeling is that Liverpool are going to compete for the title next season, so everything looks to be going faster than expected.
No one can deny Manchester City. In my opinion, they are still the favorites to win the championship. However, by their standards, a slow start to the new season has given other teams some opportunities. The schedule around Christmas is crucial. Liverpool’s game against Arsenal next weekend will have a greater impact on this season’s title race, but Klopp knows the significance of a game against Manchester United. No matter which team wins, it will bring motivation and belief to the next game, while losing will have the opposite effect. We saw this in last season’s confrontation. Ten Hag definitely hopes that this game will be the biggest turning point in his coaching of Manchester United.