Liverpool are still coming to terms with manner of defeat at Manchester United but Arsenal and Man City will know Reds aren’t going anywhere
Some construed them as good old-fashioned mind games. But having pointedly avoided such an approach throughout his reign as Liverpool manager, the comments from Jurgen Klopp were simply based on cold, hard fact.
“If United play like today Arsenal will win that game, I’m 100% sure,” said the Reds boss when asked about the Gunners’ penultimate match of the season at Manchester United.
Rather than turn up the psychological pressure or goad an admittedly poor United into raising their level significantly for the fixture, it was arguably more likely a pointed message to his own team for once again being unable to capitalise on their dominance against their bitter North West rivals.
Certainly, the prevailing mood among the travelling Kop that trudged away from Old Trafford after a wholly avoidable 2-2 draw was one of despondency at Liverpool letting slip their hard-earned two-point advantage to now stand behind new Premier League leaders Arsenal on goal difference.
The experience of recent title tussles have corrupted expectations, not just for Liverpool but the Premier League as a whole. Whereas the twists and turns that are still so often predicted would often materialise over the closing weeks, the relentlessness of victories during sprints for the line between the Reds and Manchester City have meant, even eight games out, every dropped point feels like a devastating blow.
The fixture list now very much doesn’t appear to favour Liverpool, who still have four away games remaining at Fulham, Everton and West Ham United – all played within a space of seven days – before a final road trip to Aston Villa. City’s four away trips include one at Tottenham Hotspur but are otherwise favourable, while Arsenal have only three on their travels, the most difficult being the visit to neighbours Tottenham.
But as the dust settles on events at Old Trafford, so the realisation will dawn that Liverpool remain very much part of a championship battle that, in truth, few would have anticipated at the start of the campaign.
With seven games remaining, they’ve already surpassed their points tally for the whole of last season, and moved to within one point of securing European qualification and ensuring they won’t finish below fifth – which, with England favourites to grab one of the two extra Champions League places for next season, should be enough to return to Europe’s elite.
And all this with not only a completely new midfield, but also while having to juggle an injury crisis the like of which most definitely Arsenal and, to a lesser extent, City simply haven’t had to contend with this season. Liverpool’s main goalkeeper hasn’t featured since the 3-1 defeat at the Emirates in early February, their chief playmaker has been out since the following week, their leading scorer missed two months at the start of the calendar year and even the three main summer engine room arrivals were only able to start together in two games before mid-March.
On Sunday, Liverpool began with four players who had never played in the Premier League before the start of the campaign, and another who had made just five appearances. That Klopp’s side are title contenders and have lost only twice in the top flight – one of which was the VAR-infected nonsense at Tottenham – is truly remarkable.
The extent of the injuries can perhaps be demonstrated by the fact, in all competitions, James McConnell has been in the matchday squad 31 times. That is not to slight a burgeoning young career, but to instead underline the constant lack of senior availability. McConnell, as was shown at Wembley in the League Cup final, has made the most of his unexpected opportunity.
Meanwhile, Klopp was right to suggest on Sunday it would be the “dumbest thing” for Liverpool to actively seek to close the nine-goal gap in goal difference to Arsenal. In the 136-year history of English league football, only six times – in 1924, 1950, 1954, 1965, 1989 and 2012 – have two teams finished on the same points tally at the summit and been separated on their goalscoring exploits. It isn’t likely to be a factor.
The Gunners have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League games and, should they win all their remaining matches, taking 52 out of the final 54 available points would make them worthy champions in any season.
