We’re 1/3rd of the way through with the current season of Football and there have been a lot of interesting developments. The Premier League has become highly unpredictable with teams like the freshly-promoted Sheffield performing so well that they are currently in the top 6. Aside from the top position, the rest of the table is divided into sets where teams are heavily gridlocked. For example, Manchester United is 9th but Wolverhampton,5th is only 2 points ahead of the devils. But despite all the chaos, Liverpool is sitting at the top with a very comfortable 8 point lead.
The team has had an extraordinary League so far, with 0 in the Losses column and only 1 draw. Liverpool has had to face many difficult opponents and their only draw came against Man United. Klopp and Co. look invincible at the moment which makes the eight-point lead seem insurmountable. With all that said, there are some teams who look sharp and might give the Reds a serious run for their money when it comes to the rest of the season. With all that, let’s take a look at some of the matches that could end Liverpool’s unbeaten run.
#1. Liverpool vs Leicester City ( 27/12/2019; 1:30 am IST; King Power Stadium):
1st vs 2nd had to be here. Leicester City has been having a dream of a season, showing similarity to their championship season sheerly through their quality of football. Leicester has registered 5 out of 5 in the W column in their last 5 games. This is something even Liverpool doesn’t have currently because of their draw against Man United. Jamie Vardy is the top scorer in the entire PL currently and he is showing a brilliant amount of consistency. Soyuncu has shown some incredible defence, Ricardo Pereira has been extremely resourceful as a fullback. There’s James Maddison who has been excellent in all facets of midfield play. There really is no weak link in Leicester City at the moment and the cherry on top is that the team has registered the biggest victory of the season so far ( 9-0, drawing Man U’s all-time record). There’s a lot of greatness in Leicester that would make any team sweat, even if the team of the other end is Liverpool.
#2. Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur (11/01/2020; 11:00 pm IST; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium):
Tottenham has been underperforming this season, at a point right into the thick of double digits when it came to table position. However, Jose’ Mourinho’s recent appointment as manager is something that that could tip the scales in the favour of North Londoners( the ones that aren’t Arsenal fans). Mourinho did win his first game as manager (3-2) but the players did show a lack of energy towards the end of the game which resulted in 2 conceded goals. Conversely, Mourinho is one of the most highly acclaimed managers for a reason. He has won the Premier League before and he could do it again. It is widely known that Mourinho prefers defence but it will be interesting to see how Tottenham itself will fit into his style of gameplay. There’s also the fact that he has been known to be tactically strong and quickly adaptable. There is an air of unpredictability but Liverpool and it’s fans won’t be taking victory for granted when the opponents are coached by Mourinho and Harry Kane is playing striker.
#3. Liverpool vs Manchester United (19/01/2020; 10:00 pm IST; Anfield):
Certainly the dark horse of this list but it still warrants it’s a spot here because the red devils are the only team so far to have not lost to Liverpool. Yes, Manchester United’s performance has been disappointing so far this season and there’s also the fact that they will have to face the Reds on an away game. But as said earlier Man United has been the only one to dent the armour. They were actually en route to winning the first game before Liverpool equalized. There’s also the fact that Man United has done surprisingly well against the top 6 teams, yet to be beaten in that regard. They even started out this season with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea. Combine all that Martial’s return from injury and recent resourcefulness and you’d be a little hard-pressed to bet against Man United in for this particular match.
#4. Liverpool vs Manchester City ( 04/04/2020; 7:30 pm IST; City of Manchester Stadium):
Liverpool will again face against the team man thought would be occupying the top spot. Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, has won both of the last two PL’s with a combined total of 198 points from those two seasons. They are simply a team that strikes the maximum amount of fear in the hearts of their opponents. This season, however, has been turbulent. Manchester City initially got off to a great start but some losses kept stacking up and their most recent loss was against none other than Liverpool. That being said, Manchester City did create a lot of chances in the game but failed to convert. On top of that, the atmosphere at Anfield was universally against them, proving just how empowering a home game advantage can be. Things will be a bit different this time, with Manchester City playing them on home soil. And at the end of the day it is Manchester City, the last club you should expect a guaranteed victory from.
#5. Liverpool vs Chelsea ( 09/05/2020; 7:30 pm IST; Anfield):
Liverpool’s penultimate game of the season has the potential for subversion. Chelsea started off the season with an almost soul-crushing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United. Jumpcut to a third of the season and Chelsea is in the top 4. Frank Lampard used his knowledge and faith and turned things around. Jorginho is performing incredibly well while Christian Pulisic is proving to be a bargain of a transfer. Mason Mount(Pulisic as well) and Tammy Abraham are turning into some of the most acclaimed young players with the latter occupying the second spot in the list of top goal scorers. Chelsea even made their first match against Liverpool rather close(2-1) and with N’golo Kante’ looking fit and just as adept as ever, Klopp and Co. will have their hands full.
