Category: Analysis

Liverpool Face Difficult Second Leg Task After Being Muted by Stoic Atleti

For the second time in two seasons, Liverpool will need to overcome a first leg deficit against Spanish opponents to reach the next round of the Champions League. After Atletico’s defensive masterclass at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday night, the Reds will need another stirring continental night at Anfield to progress to a third Quarter-Final in a row.

While Deigo Simeone’s men have been below their best this season in La Liga, Atleti showed their collective nous to frustrate Jurgen Klopp’s men in Madrid. After finding the back of the net early and in somewhat fortunate circumstances, Atletico battened down the hatches and barely gave the Reds a sniff all night.

In fact, it was the hosts who created the best of the chances on a relatively dour night and could have taken a more commanding lead if not for a slip from Alvaro Morata and some decent Liverpool defending. The Spanish striker had 2 decent opportunities to double his side’s advantage but first found the feet of Alisson before slipping at an inopportune time.

Meanwhile, the Reds struggled to create a clear chance all night and ended the game with registering a single shot on target, with Mohamed Salah spurning the Reds’ best chances. The Egyptian was finding himself in dangerous positions but was unable to find a goal that would have put his side back in the driver’s seat.

While Klopp’s men overcame a bigger deficit against Barcelona in last season’s Semi-Final, this Atletico team are a different beast entirely to that brilliant but occasionally flaky Barca side. Simeone’s men have conceded just 17 times in 24 La Liga games this season and have never conceded more than 2 goals in a single game (having conceded 2 on just 4 occasions).

That means that should Atletico manage to find an away goal at Anfield, Klopp’s men will face an uphill task to score the 3 goals that would be required for progress from that point. While far from beyond the abilities of this Liverpool side, the Reds will need to prepare for another attritional encounter where a single goal may again prove the difference.

Interestingly, the tie is shaping up in a similar way to the 2010 Europa League Semi-Final between these sides which saw the Spaniards advance to the Final where they beat Fulham. Atleti also held a 1-0 first leg advantage in that tie and despite being taken to extra time at Anfield, Quique Sánchez Flores’ men progressed on away goals with a 2-1 loss in England.

Of course, Liverpool’s struggles away from home in Europe have been well documented with the Reds having won just 7 of their 16 Champions League away fixtures under Klopp. Despite that record, Liverpool have featured in 2 consecutive Champions League Finals and will certainly feel that a turn around is on the table, especially given their current Premier League form.

In another sign that will encourage Klopp, Atleti threw away an even bigger first leg lead at the same stage of last season’s Champions League to be knocked out by Juventus. Simeone’s men took a 2-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano back to Turin but fell foul of a Cristiano Ronaldo masterclass that saw the Old Lady progress.

All is set then for a fascinating second leg at Anfield March 11, with the Reds potentially only 2 wins away from securing the Premier League title by that point. While a league success would undoubtedly crown 2020 as a prominent year for the club, a Round of 16 exit from the Champions League would be seen as a disappointment which Klopp will be keen to avoid.

What Manchester City’s UEFA Ban Means for Liverpool

On Friday afternoon, UEFA handed down a surprising and landmark decision in their investigation into Manchester City’s alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulation. The allegations stem back to between 2012 and 2016 and have seen the Cityzens fined £25 million and kicked out of UEFA club competitions for the next 2 seasons.

But what exactly does this mean for the Reds? We’ve taken a look at all the likely and not so likely scenarios to find out.

What are City accused of doing?

The semi-independent Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body found that the club had breached FFP by overstating its sponsorship revenue and failing to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation. Put simply, City overstated the amount of money they received from their major sponsor, Etihad Airways, in order to circumvent FFP regulations.

Why is that such a big deal?

When FFP was introduced in 2011, one of UEFA’s main aims was to ensure clubs operated within their means and didn’t rely on external factors such as billionaire owners to stay operable. However, City owner Sheikh Mansour wanted to put more money into the club and struck a deal with Etihad to fund the sponsorship himself.

Etihad, who are owned by the Abu Dhabi ruling family, pay City £67.5 million per year to sponsor the club’s shirts, stadiums, training facility and academy. Of that amount, Sheikh Mansour is alleged to personally fund £59.5 while Etihad themselves pay just £8 million allowing Sheikh Mansour to avoid FFP while also providing cut-price advertising for Etihad.

How do we know about this?

UEFA’s investigation was launched after Portuguese national Rui Pinto leaked a number of emails from the club that showed the proposed breakdown of the deal between Etihad and City. Pinto’s leaks were initially published in German magazine Der Spiegel, though Pinto now faces 147 charges including computer hacking in his home country.

Can City appeal?

Yes, and they have already vehemently denied the charges laid on them by Club Financial Control Body. City can challenge the decision in Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who will have the final say on whether the charges are upheld or overturned.

Is it likely that their appeal is successful?

City certainly seem to think they have a good chance and have slammed what they called a ‘prejudicial process’ that ‘flawed and consistently leaked.’ The club also took issue with a case they claimed was ‘initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA,’ seemingly not understanding that there is nothing unusual about a governing body adjudicating its own rules.

City has long taken issue with UEFA over FFP, measures which the club feels are designed to maintain the status quo and prevent clubs such as themselves breaking through. Whether or not that is paranoia on the part of the ownership and fan base is hard to say, though the measures have widely been celebrated for reigning in unsustainable spending in European football.

While it is hard to know what CAS will do, there is certainly a feeling that a compromise could be reached whereby City pay a large fine in exchange for cooperation moving forward and no ban. Much will depend on whether City could palate such an outcome or whether they believe their conduct is without reproach despite evidence to the contrary.

Have other clubs breached FFP?

City are far from the first to be charged with breaching FFP, though this is admittedly the harshest punishment handed out so far by European football’s governing body. For example, Paris Saint-Germain got off with a slap on the wrist for a similar misdirection a couple of years ago, though the Parisians did at least cooperate with the investigation.

While City cry foul at a process they consider to be designed to spite them, the contrast to PSG’s response is stark and perhaps the biggest indicator of why UEFA have come down so hard. The animosity between City and UEFA, mostly directed from Manchester to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, saw City refuse to assist the investigation and found guilty of trying to deceive FFP.

What impact will it have this season?

The impact between now and the end of the season is unlikely to be major with the club set to challenge the decision and allowed to compete in the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League. There is a chance that the Premier League could also choose to intervene given that City breached regulations that also apply to the domestic competition, but more on that later.

Will players leave?

This one is hard to judge until City’s appeal to CAS is heard and the decision is either upheld or overturned – it is likely that hearing of the matter is fast-tracked before the summer. However, with the Champions League estimated to be worth between £100 million and £150 million per season, an extended absence from the competition could cost City dearly.

In addition, with a relatively ageing squad on the books, it is likely that Pep Guardiola’s superstars will not be content without European football and could look to move. The same could be said of the manager himself who is widely tipped to leave Manchester in the coming year or so and could see his exit accelerated by this decision.

Could any City players come to Liverpool?

While we’d never say never, it is unlikely that City would ever sanction a sale to the Reds, a club who they have developed a fierce rivalry with, even if again it is a rather one-way relationship. City have never forgiven Liverpool’s ‘hacking’ of the scouting system in 2012 and would not do business with their rivals for the Premier League title.

What about the 2014 Premier League title…

We’ve all heard the speculation, if City breached FFP between 2012 and 2016 surely that jeopardises their Premier League titles during that time, including in 2014 when they beat the Reds by just 2 points. However, while the possibility is open in theory, we wouldn’t be getting our hopes up especially with a legal challenge on the way.

Could this change European football?

In short, it is hard to see how it won’t – if the sanctions are upheld it will show that UEFA are finally getting serious about FFP but if CAS overturns the decision it will show that big clubs can do what they like. This is truly a battle for the soul of football and one in which it is far from certain that the ‘good’ guys will win.

On a more radical scale, there is a possibility, or even a likelihood, that City use their free midweeks to host international friendlies to make up for lost Champions League revue. If the club can successfully tap the American and Asian markets, the decision to ban City man actually come back to bite UEFA by hastening a breakaway European Super League.

Naby Keita Impresses at Carrow Road But Needs to Repay Klopp’s Faith

When we looking back at the Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield, the German’s reign will likely be seen as a period where the club finally pulled in the same direction both on and off the field. The European, World and soon-to-be English champions are not only a juggernaut on the field, but they have also managed to get the fans universally back on board after some dark years at Anfield.

As a Liverpool fan, there is little to be pessimistic about these days with the team sweeping all before them and usually playing beautiful football in the process. Even players such as Jordan Henderson, once much maligned, has been subject to widespread praise due to his recent performance with Klopp having created a team that is as likeable as it is excellent.

However, if there is one exception to the consensus around Anfield, it revolves around one man who has struggled so far to adjust to life on Merseyside – Naby Keita. The Guinean midfielder has seen injuries curtail his adjustment to English football with the former Red Bull Leipzig man having started just 19 Premier League games in the last 19 months.

According to some, Keita is the Reds’ most gifted player and the man Klopp should be looking to build his midfield around after impressing during his 2 seasons in the Bundesliga. However, for others, the Guinean is too lightweight for the division, as evidenced by his injuries, and has the capacity to drift through games when things don’t go his way.

Of course, as usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle of these 2 positions, not that that has stopped Keita become one of the rare points of differing opinions among the fan base. Keita is undoubtedly a supremely gifted player, of that there has never been any question, though Klopp’s patience will begin to wear thin if the Guinean can’t find consistency soon.

On Saturday, Keita started just his third Premier League game of the campaign, and his first of 2020, as the Reds eeked out a 1-0 win over bottom of the table Norwich City. Once again, Keita’s performance saw him singled out for praise among the pundits after an all-action performance that enabled the Reds to dominate possession.

Part of what makes Keita so hard to characterise is that the Guinean is capable of doing a little bit of everything – he is capable of dictating the tempo from deep, dribbling past a man or arriving in the box late to score. In fact, Keita almost pulled off the latter against Norwich but saw his effort from close range smothered by Tim Krul in the Norwich net.

It was a glaring chance and the way in which Keita approached the ball with seemingly little conviction feeds into the narrative that he is not cut out for the rigours and physicality of English football. However, after otherwise putting in an excellent performance, it was also clear to see why some, including Klopp, are so willing to give Keita all the time he needs.

Against the Canaries, Keita recorded 3 shots, 2 shots on target, 2 dribbles, 1 key pass and 5 tackles, with all of those stats among the highest among any player at Carrow Road on Saturday. However, the Guinean also gave the ball away quite a bit and recorded just 75.7% passing accuracy, a significant drop on his season-long average of over 90%.

However, no matter how impressive the Guinean performs in an individual game, his big challenge now is to replicate that form over a period of weeks and months. While we would all like to see Keita succeed, the former Red Bull Leipzig and Salzburg man wouldn’t be the first to fail to adapt to English conditions.

It is also worth remembering that, having recently turned 25, Keita is no longer a kid and needs to be getting consistent minutes if he is to fulfil his potential. Injuries have been a large part of his failure to feature regularly at Anfield so far but with Klopp spoiled for options in the middle of the park, Keita can’t afford to waste the chances he is given.

While the Guinean might not yet be in the last chance saloon to save his Liverpool career, Keita could use a run of fitness and form to repay the faith in him that his manager has shown to date. If not, Keita may just become one of the few talented Reds to look back on this potential era of dominance for the club with regret.

Anaylsing Takumi Minamino’s First Month at Liverpool

25-year-old Japanese utility Takumi Minamino became Jurgen Klopp’s first signing of the new decade when the former Red Bull Salzburg man officially joined the Reds on 1 January 2020. Minamino had impressed for the Austrian Champions against Liverpool in the Champions League and became the Reds first-ever Japanese player.

The former Cerezo Osaka man has already made an influence off the field – the Reds launched an official Japanese twitter page just days after Minamino signed on the dotted line. While the Reds will hope that the signing increases their presence in Asia, Minamino will ultimately be judged on his performances on the field – so what have we learned so far?

When describing the Japanese international, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what sort of player Minamino is with his versatility lending itself to the term ‘utility player’. For example, during his final 6 months with Salzburg, Minamino played on either flank, as part of a midfield three, as a wide forward and as an attacking midfielder.

Capped 22 times by the Blue Samurai to date, Minamino demonstrated his tactical and technical ability in Austria and impressed the Reds with his ability to perform the role required of him. That versatility makes him the perfect squad player, though it seems Klopp has more in mind for the talented midfielder than a bit-part role.

Despite his various roles in Austria, the one position with which Minamino has little previous experience is as a striker with the 5-time Austrian Bundesliga winner more comfortable providing for his teammates. However, in Roberto Firmino, Klopp already has a forward who works selflessly for the team and the German already looks to be grooming Minamino as the Brazilian’s understudy.

On Minamino’s two starts for the Reds so far, both in the FA Cup, the Japanese international has started as a false nine and has shown moments of quality in the role. While familiarity will come with time in the role – remember that Andrew Robertson and Fabinho took 6 months to adjust to life at Anfield – Minamino could provide a much needed like-for-like replacement for Firmino to ease the pressure on Liverpool’s number 9.

Against Everton at the start of January, Minamino linked well with his midfield early on before tiring as he still adjusts to a new country and new system. The Japanese international also looked isolated at times by a young Liverpool eleven and it would be interesting to see how Minamino would fit in with a stronger side around him right now.

Meanwhile, on his second start against Shrewsbury later that month, Minamino again looked isolated at times, especially in the second half as the Shrews forced the Reds to a replay. Despite this, Minamino registered 1 key pass, 88.9% passing accuracy and got through 84 minutes before being replaced by Firmino.

While those numbers aren’t exceptional yet, it will take time for Minamino to adjust his mentality from being an all-action midfielder to a more subtle role at the tip of Klopp’s system. Don’t expect overnight results – he will need at least a full preseason to fully understand his new responsibilities – but there are some promising signs that Klopp has found a player to cover some of the workload of the irreplaceable Firmino.

Interestingly, on Minamino’s two other appearances for the Red, the Japanese international has played from the left-hand side as a substitute in the Premier League. While Klopp is prepping the Japanese international to feature as a false 9, Minamino will still offer an option across the front three and even in the two shuttling midfield places if the German wants a more attacking option.

Having left his homeland at the age of 19 to sign for the biggest club in Austria, Minamino is no stranger to adopting to a foreign country and has all the attributes to succeed at Anfield like he did at Red Bull Arena. With Sadio Mane and Naby Keita, Liverpool’s other former Salzburg players, designated to help him acclimatise to his new surroundings, expect Minamino to come up to speed quickly and perhaps even make a serious contribution before the end of the season.

Are Liverpool a Long-Ball Team?

In the aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United last month, Red Devils’ boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had some interesting comments about the Reds’ style of play. Despite his team being thoroughly outplayed for most of the encounter at Anfield, the Norwegian loaded Jurgen Klopp’s side with faint praise by implying the Reds are a ‘long-ball’ team.

While on the face of it Solskjaer’s words were not necessarily critical of his rivals, the subtext was clear – the Reds do not play attractive football and are therefore somehow less deserving of praise. Putting aside for a moment whether or not Solskjaer is even correct, the inference itself is baffling and implies there is a correct way to win 24 games out of 25.

Meanwhile, this week, former England manager (albeit briefly) Sam Allardyce also weighed into the debate saying that the Reds play “long-ball very well indeed.” While this has upset some Liverpool fans on social media more than it should have, do Solskjaer and Allardyce have a point when they say the Reds have a direct style?

Well, for starters, according to whoscored.com, only Sheffield United (75) and Burnley (71) attempt more long-balls per game than the Reds (66) this season in the Premier League. Additionally, while the Reds sit near the top of the long-ball list, the rest of the ‘big 6’ plus Leicester occupy the bottom of the ‘long-ball table’ and average between 49 and 55 such passes per game.

So if the stats suggest that the Reds do attempt more direct passes than the other sides at the top of the division, why have Liverpool fans been so upset by their description as a long-ball side? While the term may be strictly accurate in terms of the number of long passes attempted, the term ‘long-ball’ is synonymous with an agriculture ‘hoof and hope’ style of play.

That sort of characterisation, one that could be fairly levelled at a number of Allardyce’s own sides, could not be further from the truth for the Reds who use direct passing in a more nuanced way. Klopp’s men are not a side who is limited to just one method of attacking their opponents – the Merseysiders always have options to go both short and long during games.

For example, despite having the third-highest number long-balls per game, the Reds also register the second-highest amount of short passes (552) per game, just behind Manchester City (618). Klopp’s men also have the second-highest proportion of possession on average (58.2%, again behind City) and the third-highest passing percentage on average (83.7%, behind City and Chelsea).

It is also worth noting the situations that the Reds look to opt for longer passes – while an Allardyce team may hoof the ball at a big centre forward, the Reds look to exploit space. In contrast, the long diagonal passes between the Reds full-backs has become a symbol of this season while Jordan Henderson has earned rave reviews for his distribution.

This contrast between a ‘long-ball’ team and Liverpool’s style of play this season is most starkly apparent when considering the percentage of long passes each side successfully completes. While the Reds complete an impressive 72.5% of their long passes, which are riskier by their very nature, the likes of Sheffield United (55.4%) and Burnley (52.3%) have been nowhere near as successful.

When considering these statistics together, it is clear that the Reds are far from a traditional long-ball team – they are rather a possession-based outfit who have the technical ability to go more direct when required. This attitude has also seen the Reds score the highest number of goals on the counter-attack this season (7).

So while Liverpool may attempt statistically more long-balls than a side traditionally near the top of the table, the Reds are clearly not a ‘long-ball’ team within the popular meaning of that phrase. Rather, Klopp’s men dominate possession but also regularly look to switch the play with relatively high percentage long passes.

While the Reds will be called a lot worse names over the coming 3 months or so as the Premier League title makes its long route home to Anfield, the phrase ‘long-ball’ is not one that should phase Liverpool fans. Few have managed to cope with Klopp’s system this season which perfectly balances the benefits of a direct style with a possession-heavy approach.

Has the Winter Break Come at a Bad Time for Liverpool?

At this very moment, Liverpool’s first-team stars are enjoying a well-earned break after a gruelling schedule that has seen most of Jurgen Klopp’s players feature more than 30 times for the club already this season. When you add in international fixtures, that number grows even higher with the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah deprived of a summer break by the Africa Cup of Nations.

Over the past month or so, injuries have taken their toll across the Premier League with the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling injured in recent weeks. Meanwhile, while the Reds have been fortunate with their big-name players so far this campaign, Klopp was forced to choose from just 12 outfield players for most of January.

Therefore, it makes sense that the Premier League has finally decided to instigate a winter break for it’s players, a practice widely seen on the rest of the continent. With each club getting two weeks off during February over staggered matchdays, the Liverpool’s players have been given time away from the club to recharge their batteries.

However, while this is the first official winter break the Premier League has observed, the Reds have had a similar break in each of last 3 seasons at by virtue of getting knocked out of the FA Cup early. During this time, Klopp’s side has had a break of between 10 and 13 days each season, slightly shorter than the 14 they have this time around.

In fact, the only time the Reds have not had such a break under Klopp is in 2016 during the German’s first season at Anfield when the Europa League tie with Augsburg dissected a break in Premier League fixtures. Otherwise, the Merseysiders have always had the opportunity to have a mid-season training camp in warmer climates, but how has this affected Klopp’s men?

In truth, the break has not always been a positive for the Reds with the side struggling for rhythm after falling out of the cycle of playing week-in week-out. In 2 of the last 3 seasons, the Reds have dropped points immediately after their unofficial winter break with the players looking sluggish not rejuvenated after their time away from Anfield.

Never was this effect more obvious than last season when Klopp’s men returned from their 10 days break with a pair of tired 0-0 draws to Bayern Munich and Manchester United. Far from looking re-energised, the Reds just looked flat on both occasions with the points dropped in the league proving crucial in the title race.

So will this season be the same? While the Reds have a relatively easy return to action next weekend away to Norwich, a Champions League tie away at the Wanda Metropolitano awaits the Reds just 3 days later. Despite sitting in 6th in La Liga, Atletico Madrid will not be easy opponents and would ruthlessly exploit any rustiness from their English opponents.

Given the Reds commanding lead in the Premier League and the importance of the Champions League, it is arguable that the winter break has come at the worst possible time for Klopp. The potential to lose momentum at this vital stage of the season will surely be a cause for concern that the German will have to manage carefully over the next week and a half.

However, the big difference this season may well be that while in previous seasons the Reds had a shorter break while their rivals were mostly still playing, this season that is not the case. With the rest of the Premier League also taking a week off, the Reds will be less behind the ‘eight ball’ domestically though Europe remains a concern.

Ideally, in the future, the winter break in England will more closely align with those on the continent and occurred just after Christmas, roughly halfway through the campaign rather than 2 thirds. However, it is likely that only a catastrophic underperformance by the English Champions League teams would trigger such a change in the short-term.

Whether or not the Reds 2-week break ends up doing more harm than good remains to be seen, though don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for Klopp to get his side back up to full speed. Having worked so hard to get themselves into a strong position in the league, the Reds will need to return from their rest ready to give one last push in search of glory on multiple fronts.

What Liverpool need to do to Win the Title

On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool went 22 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after beating Southampton 4-0 at Anfield. 24 hours later, Pep Guardiola’s men failed to make up ground on their title rivals with a 2-0 defeat away at Tottenham that heaps the pressure on the reigning champions.

With the Reds heading off on a two-week winter break, we thought we’d take a look at exactly what Jurgen Klopp’s men will need to do when they return to action in order to secure the title. Let’s take a look at all the permutations that could happen in the coming months and what the Reds need to do to end the 30-year wait.

How Many Points Can City Get?

After tasting defeat at the London Stadium, Guardiola’s men sit on 51 points after 25 games and on course to get between 77 and 78 points this campaign on current form. However, Klopp will plan for City to pick up every possible point from here meaning that the mark the Reds need to beat is currently is 90 points.

With the Reds currently on 73 points with 13 points to go the equation is simple – if the Merseysiders can win 6 more times this season the title will be theirs. Put another way, Liverpool could win just 3 of their remaining games if they managed to draw at least 9 of the other 10, though that would be a less impressive way to secure league title number 19.

How Many Points Will The Reds Realistically Need?

Over the last 10 years, the average number of points the Premier League champions have recorded is 88.9, though this figure has risen to 91.8 in the last 5 years. That means that the minimum total of 91 points is a realistic target especially given City’s run of 14 straight victories at the end of last season that denied Klopp the title by just a single point.

The Reds are currently just 8 points shy of the tally that Leicester City accrued in 2015/16 when the Foxes won the most remarkable title in recent memory. While Liverpool will have their sights on a loftier target, Klopp’s men are already within touching distance of a previous title-winning points tally.

What is the Earliest the Title Could be Won?

If the Reds win their next 6 games in the league, the title race could be mathematically over on Saturday 21 March 2020 when Crystal Palace visit Anfield. Between now and then the Reds will play Norwich, West Ham Watford, Bournemouth and Everton while a trip to the Etihad immediately follows.

Depending on how other results play out, the title may be secured either at Goodison Park or away from home against City, both tantalising prospects. Meanwhile, the Reds 8th game of that run will be at home against Aston Villa on Saturday 11 April 2020 which will be the last chance for Klopp’s men to break Manchester United’s record of securing the title on 14 April.

Can the FA Cup Influence Proceedings?

If a young Liverpool side can make it past Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round replay on Tuesday night, the Reds would play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round on Thursday, 5 March 2020. Such a tie may well see Liverpool’s clash with Bournemouth currently scheduled for 7 March moved to a later date.

However, with the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie with Atletico Madrid at Anfield set to take place on the following Tuesday, there is little room for manoeuvre with the scheduling. That would likely see Klopp field another heavily rotated eleven in the somewhat unlikely event the Reds make it to the fifth round with the FA Cup a distant third priority.

What is the Worst Case Scenario?

While it may seem like a distant possibility for some, Liverpool fans have been stung too many times to think this title is a foregone conclusion. We already know that City are capable of putting the sort of run together that would be needed to put the pressure on Klopp’s side, but where exactly would the pressure start to kick in?

Well, while the Reds next few fixtures seem fairly kind on paper, if the title is still up for grabs in the final 3 weeks of the season things could get a little more interesting for the neutrals. Liverpool are set to end the campaign with Arsenal away, Chelsea at home and Newcastle away, far from the easiest run especially if the title is still alive.

What Other Records Could the Reds Break?

Moving onto something a little more positive, Liverpool’s current form puts them well and truly in contention to break all sorts of Premier League records. For starters, if the Reds go unbeaten for the remainder of the campaign they will become the first time since Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2003/04 to go an entire campaign without losing.

If they do so, they would also break the ‘Invincibles’ record of 49 Premier League unbeaten – Klopp’s men currently sit on 42 games and could equal that record at Villa Park on April. Finally, The Reds need 28 points from their remaining 13 games to break City’s record points tally of 100 from 2 seasons ago which could be achieved with 9 wins and a draw.

Oxlade-Chamberlain Shows His Versatility With Superb Left-Wing Performance

Prior to his move from Arsenal to Liverpool on 31 August 2017, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had given a telling interview about the position he prefers to play. Speaking after the Gunners had won the FA Cup that May against Chelsea, the former Southampton man told BT Sports he always wanted to play like Steven Gerrard.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had just played 82 minutes of the final as a left wing-back as his side beat the Blues 2-1 and had previously been used almost exclusively as a winger under Arsene Wenger. However, the English international was clearly looking to make a change with his desire to play more centrally considered a key reason he joined Jurgen Klopp at Anfield 3 months later.

While Oxlade-Chamberlain initially struggled to force his way into Klopp’s first-team plans, he soon proved his doubters wrong with a string of influential performances when given a chance in midfield. The Englishman’s performances against Manchester City in both the Premier League and Champions League particularly stand out before Oxlade-Chamberlain’s season was ended prematurely against Roma.

While much of the next 18 months were occupied with recovering from that serious knee injury he sustained at Anfield in the Champions League Semi-Final, Klopp always kept faith in his man. The 35-capped England international offers the German a different option in the centre of the park with his direct running, distance shooting and work-rate.

In fact, so complete has been Oxlade-Chamberlain’s conversion to central midfield, the Portsmouth-born midfielder has looked out of his depth when played on the wing. While he is often used as a late substitute in wide positions, Oxlade-Chamberlain had started on the left-wing just 3 times this season before yesterday and with mixed results.

The son of former England international Mark Chamberlain looked out of place on the left in the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea in August before also struggling against Crystal Palace in the league. While Oxlade-Chamberlain did score against Bournemouth from the left-hand side back in December, it was not the all-action performance he put in on Saturday.

In the first half at Anfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain was arguably the Reds’ best player in a half characterised by sloppy passing and a pedestrian pace from the Premier League leaders. Liverpool’s number 15 looked like the most likely to make something happen and recorded 1 shot, 1 key pass and 1 dribble during the opening 45 minutes.

While he was not able to find the breakthrough before halftime, Oxlade-Chamberlain finally got rewarded for his efforts when the 26-year-old opened the scoring just after the break. The Englishman latched onto Roberto Firmino’s flick and cut inside Moussa Djenepo before finding the back of the net with a low drive to the near post.

The Englishman has now scored 3 goals in 17 Premier League appearances this season but after taking into account starts and actual minutes on the pitch, Oxlade-Chamberlain averages 0.31 goals per 90 minutes. That puts ‘the Ox’ the Reds’ 7th most prolific player this season, only marginally behind Roberto Firmino (0.34) and ahead of his midfield rivals.

If there was one criticism of Oxlade-Chamberlain right now it would be that the Englishman is yet to play 90 minutes in the league or Europe this season. That may just be a sign of the Reds taking no precautions with the former Arsenal man’s extended injury recovery but is certainly an area upon which Oxlade-Chamberlain could improve.

With squad rotation likely to be a key issue in the coming months with the Champions League about to return for the Round of 16 and a potential FA Cup run in the offering, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s versatility could be vital for the Reds. With Xherdan Shaqiri unable to stay fit, Klopp has just 4 first-team options for the front 3 plus new signing Takumi Minamino who stills needs time to adjust to his new surroundings.

Meanwhile, with Naby Keita and Fabinho back fit and James Milner expected to return after the winter break, Klopp is well stocked in midfield. While Oxlade-Chamberlain is still a good option in the middle, his ability to fill in multiple positions will see his playing time increase, even if that risks a return to the situation that saw him leave the Gunners in the first place.

With one eye surely already turned towards a potential Euro 2020 spot, Oxlade-Chamberlain would surely accept all the minutes he can get right now. Further, while Sadio Mane is also expected to back by the time the Reds return to Premier League action, Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a more like for like replacement for the Senegalese.

In fact, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal on Saturday was reminiscent of the goal Mane scored against the same opposition at St Mary’s back in August. On that occasion, the Senegalese winger cut inside onto his right foot and found the far top corner while Oxlade-Chamberlain performed a similar move but instead finished in the bottom near corner.

With the defence of the Champions League likely to become the Reds’ biggest priority in the coming months, Oxlade-Chamberlain would be hoping to get plenty of chances to impress. If he can continue to adapt between different positions and give his manager extra options to change games, ‘the Ox’ could prove to be crucial in the coming months.

Don’t Let the Normality Fool You – This Liverpool Team is Truly Exceptional

It would be an understatement to say that Liverpool have started 2020 in dominant form – since the turn of the new decade, Jurgen Klopp’s men have won 5 from 5 in the Premier League. During that time, the Reds have conceded just once in the league with the only major blemish on their copybook this month the 2-2 draw at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.

In fact, the Shrews have scored more goals against the Reds this season than 18 of the 19 Premier League clubs have managed in the league with only Everton scoring twice in the first 24 games. West Ham were the latest to be swatted aside on Wednesday night with David Moyes’ men swatted aside with ease at the London Stadium.

Amid the seeming procession of comfortable, well-crafted victories, it can be easy for some, especially those on the outside looking in, to forget just how incredible this side is. This is a side that could break every record in the book this season and it would take a brave man to bet against that given the Reds recent form.

For starters, no side in Europe’s top 5 leagues has ever started a league campaign in such impenetrable form with the Reds having dropped just 2 points all season. At their current rate, Manchester City’s record of 100 points looks under serious threat with the Reds needing just 10 wins from their final 14 games to equal that mark.

With just over a third of the season remaining, Liverpool’s tally of 70 points is already higher than they recorded in 6 of their last 10 Premier League seasons. Further, even if they do not win another point this season, their current tally would still have seen the Reds finish 6th or higher in each of the past 10 seasons including 4th on 4 occasions.

At the time of writing, Klopp’s men also have more points than Manchester United and Tottenham combined who currently sit in 5th and 6th respectively. Quite frankly, if you are not a Liverpool fan this season is close to unbearable right now – luckily we have no such problems.

On Wednesday, the Reds also ticked off another unique record by beating every other side in a first division campaign for the first time in their history. The win also stretched the Reds unbeaten Premier League run to 41 games, the second-longest winning streak in league history behind Arsenal’s 49 game run in 2003/04.

While the Reds are unlikely to break Manchester City’s record of 106 goals scored or Chelsea’s record of just 15 goals conceded in a single season, the Reds are a happy mixture of both sides. Capable of scoring fantastic goals, Klopp’s men have been most impressive with their backs against the wall and have secured late victories on 6 occasions this term.

Understandably with the team doing so well, some of Klopp’s key men are also on the verge of their own record-breaking exploits with Mohamed Salah now have been involved in the most consecutive Premier League victories in history. The Egyptian has won on each of his last 30 Premier League appearances for the Reds while teammates James Milner (23) and Joe Gomez (21) are also high on the list.

Despite having had what some may label as a disappointing season in terms of goal-scoring, Salah is well on course to register 20 Premier League goals for the third consecutive season. Meanwhile, on the assist tally, Trent Alexander-Arnold sits in second having recently become the first defender in history to register 10+ assists in two Premier League seasons.

Between the sticks Alisson Becker is now joint top of the clean sheet charts despite having missed 8 games this season thanks to a run of 8 shutouts in 9 Premier League games. The Brazilian’s brilliance is matched by Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk in front of him who form an intimidating wall that has been faultless since the beginning of December.

Amongst all this success, it is one of Liverpool’s unsung heroes who has been touted as a potential Premier League player of the year this week. Captain Jordan Henderson has been on a different level in recent weeks and the former Sunderland man’s name is well-deserving of consideration when votes are made over the next month or so.

However, the true beauty of the machine Klopp has lovingly crafted over the past 4 years is that at the end of the day the team is bigger than any individual player. While the likes of Salah and Sadio Mane score the goals and write the headlines, no one player is indispensable to the system which has taken the Reds to the cusp of their first league title in 30 years.

Alisson is the Best ‘Keeper in the World Right Now – and the Stats Prove it

On Wednesday night, Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 19 points with 14 games to go courtesy of a 2-0 victory against West Ham. While the end result, and in fact much of the 90 minutes at the London Stadium, was relatively routine for Jurgen Klopp’s men, the result could have been different without a certain big Brazilian in goal.

As the Hammers grew into the game in the second half, David Moyes’ men forced 3 crucial saves out of Liverpool number 1 Alisson Becker. While one was a relatively straight-forward parry from Declan Rice’s effort from the edge of the area, the other two were simply world-class, even if the former Roma man made them look easy.

First, Alisson plunged low to his left with a strong wrist to deflect Robert Snodgrass’ effort from the edge of the area around the post. Minutes later, the Brazilian was at it again to react to another Rice effort, this time with the Irishman’s head, and pull off a fine save having been momentarily wrong-footed.

The most remarkable aspect of both saves was the calm with which Alisson pulled them off – not only did the Brazilian ensure another clean sheet, he also settled those around him. A lessor ‘keeper may, and we mean may, have been able to pull such a save off, but right now no one in the world can do so with the authority Alisson possesses.

When Alisson was injured earlier in the season, the Brazilian’s brilliance was soon forgotten as his understudy Adrian defied expectations and did a good job between the sticks. The Spaniard conceded just 14 goals in 12 appearances for his new club and pulled off some crucial saves against Napoli in particular despite the Reds losing at the Stadio San Paolo.

However, despite taking a couple of weeks to come back to full match fitness, Alisson has demonstrated the difference between a good shot-stopper and a great ‘keeper. Add to the package that Alisson is also phenomenal with the ball at his feet, it is no wonder the Brazilian is held in such high regard at Anfield.

Even by his own lofty standards, Liverpool’s run of clean sheets in recent weeks has been nothing short of phenomenal – 8 in his last 9 Premier League appearances. Put another way, Alisson has conceded just 1 goal in his last 810 minutes of league action and is currently equal top of the league for clean sheets despite having played just 16 games.

In those 16 starts for the Reds, which includes the 39 minutes before his injury against Norwich and 75 minutes against Brighton before being sent off, Alisson has faced 40 shots on target. Incredibly, the Brazilian has saved 34 of those shots representing an 85% save percentage, the highest in the league by some way.

As a comparison, Adrian has a save percentage of 64% from 25 shots on target while Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga has the lowest percentage in the league at just 53.6%. The comparison with Arrizabalaga is stark – Chelsea broke the record transfer fee for a goalkeeper Liverpool had set to bring Alisson to Anfield but the pair have had dramatically different fortunes on the field.

Interestingly, Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson ranks second in terms of save percentage with 75.3%, better than David de Gea’s 66.7% at parent club Manchester United. The Englishman also ranks second to Alisson in terms of goals conceded per 90 minutes with 0.87 while the Brazilian has conceded a mere 0.39 goals per 90 minutes.

Further, while Alisson has conceded 6 goals from the 40 shots in the Premier League, according to stats website FBref, the Brazilian could have been expected to concede 10.4 goals. That means that Alisson has made 4.4 saves he wouldn’t have been expected to, 0.29 extra saves per game which places him second in the league behind Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka.

Put another way, every 3 games or so, Alisson pulls off a world-class save to deny a ‘certain’ goal-scoring opportunity – for reference both de Gea and Arrizabalaga have conceded goals more than expected. Finally, the Brazilian has completed 53.9% of his passes longer than 40 yards, the second-highest in the league.

Add into the equation the Brazilian’s assist for Mohamed Salah a fortnight ago against Manchester United and we begin to get the picture of the influence Alisson has on his side. Also adept at coming off his line quickly to stifle opposition attacks in their tracks, the former Roma man’s influence on Klopp’s men cannot be understated.

But while all that may prove that Alisson is the best all-round ‘keeper in the Premier League right now, how does the Brazilian compare to those in Europe’s other top 5 leagues? Well, unsurprisingly, he fares pretty well – for starters no other ‘keeper comes close to his 85% save percentage (Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon comes second with 78.6%).

Further, only Keylor Navas and Thibaut Courtois have kept a higher proportion of clean sheets, each while conceding more goals in the process and in arguably weaker leagues. Finally, the Brazilian’s out-performance of his expected goals conceded ranks him in the top half dozen in Europe, a fine achievement for a man who faces relatively few shots per game.

All things considered, this season Alisson has returned to the level Liverpool fans became used to at the back end of last season and is the most complete goalkeeper in world football right now. On Wednesday, he did what he had to do and with minimum fuss, but do not let the lack of frills fool you – we are witnessing arguably the greatest ‘keeper to ever grace Anfield.