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Liverpool have made a strong start to the season but surpassing Manchester City for the Premier League title at the end of the campaign is an enormous task which will be decided by certain factors throughout the season.
Four games, four wins, and the addition of quality players in the summer transfer market have laid down the foundation of a two-horse race for the Premier League title this season. Though the Liverpool fans often seem to chant "this is our year" before every season, realistically after 2008, when Rafa Benitez's side finished second in the league losing just two games in the process, this may be their best hope of winning a Premier League title.
In the 2013/14 campaign, they won their opening three matches but fell off the pace, until the latter half of the season when they won 11 games in a row which made them genuine contenders for the title. However, the game against Crystal Palace where they drew 3-3 dealt a killer blow to their title hopes and they finished second to Manchester City that season.
This season is Jurgen Klopp’s third full campaign in charge of Liverpool. Whether the Reds can challenge Manchester City all the way and win their first league title in 29 years will depend on several key factors.
#1 Who goes furthest in the Champions League
Arguably, if you ask Pep Guardiola to choose between the Champions League and the Premier League, he will go for the European glory whereas for Jurgen Klopp it would be the other way round. Manchester City needs to win the Champions League to put them among Europe's elite whereas Liverpool needs to win the Premier League to end their 29-year league title drought.
Looking at the group stages for both the sides in the Champions League, City are expected to comfortably progress to the next round whereas Liverpool will have a fierce battle on hands where they will be up against the likes of PSG and Napoli for a place in the top two.
However both are expected to move to the knockout stages where it is a lottery from there on, but it could be crucial to their Premier League title hopes and will depend on which club goes farthest in Europe and how they use their resources.
#2 Luck
A study by ESPN showed that Liverpool was the unluckiest team last season in the Premier League losing 12 points due to 'wrong' decisions. Though it would have still left them 10 points behind the runaway winners Manchester City, they would have at least closed the gap.
Liverpool was awarded just three penalties last season which was five less than the season before. A bit more favorable referring decisions and constant luck throughout the season would certainly help their cause.
Injuries are another area where the Reds didn't have the best of fortunes last season. The cruel knee injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a significant blow to Jurgen Klopp's side. A bit of luck with injuries and refereeing can certainly boost their chances of a Premier League glory.
#3 Head to heads
Last season, the Reds ended City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League with a dramatic 4-3 win at Anfield. Klopp’s side then beat Guardiola’s team twice in the UEFA Champions League. In the 2018/19 campaign, Liverpool cannot afford to lose either game in the Premier League and need to be getting a minimum of four points for those two matches.
Against the other top six sides last season, City won eight of their ten games – losing only at Anfield and home to United. This season Liverpool would be hoping that the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal can take points off Guardiola’s side.
In 2016/2017 campaign, Liverpool topped the top-six mini-league, but last season, they just took 10 points against their nearest rivals. They will need to improve on that to stand any chance of a title challenge this campaign.
Liverpool drew 12 matches last season which was three times as many as City. They need to turn those draws into victories this time out which will be crucial for Jurgen Klopp's side.
