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After sixteen games, only one team has remained unbeaten. After the greatest start to a league season in their 126-year history, Liverpool is leading the pack. An outstanding record of thirteen wins and three draws has earned them 42 points so far. Jurgen Klopp's team is looking more and more complete and has evolved massively from the time when the German took over in 2015. They are becoming a force again.
While Liverpool's Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread, the Reds have been remarkably consistent in the league and have hardly put a foot wrong. They have beaten every non-top six club they have faced so far this season, squashing a previous bad habit that cost them valuable points in title-challenging seasons. With such a record, one would assume that the Reds' lethal front three have carried on from last season's dizzying standards.
That isn't the case though. While the attack has been productive enough, the trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino has not hurt teams as they did with such potent fluidity last season. The free-flowing attack which took the Reds to the Champions League final last season has been compromised to an extent in favour of a more mature approach and a solid backbone. Here are three key reasons why Liverpool have done so well in the Premier League, despite the attack not firing as much as they did last season.
#3 Improved squad depth
When Jurgen Klopp took charge of Liverpool in 2015, the squad was very thin and depleted. The Reds were way too dependent on Philippe Coutinho but slowly, Klopp built the squad up with many key additions in the last 2 to 3 years. But the problem still remained last season. Liverpool reached the Champions League final but as a result, had a pretty long injury list. They played the same starting eleven for the majority of the last few games in Europe. The further lack of depth was signified when Mohamed Salah was brought off injured in the first half of the final, being replaced by Adam Lallana.
Lallana is not a winger and was not ready to fill the huge void adopt that position in the biggest game of the season. However, this summer gave Klopp the chance to strengthen the Reds' squad and make it big enough to challenge at the highest level. The midfield is filled with options after the arrivals of Naby Keita and Fabinho. Xherdan Shaqiri has bolstered their wide options. The reemergence of loaned players Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi has come in handy, with a couple of really important late goals.
#2 Ability to dig deep
The previous few Liverpool teams were known for outscoring their opponents. But whenever a stubborn opponent faced them, it would throw them off. There wasn't a winning mentality at the club for years after Rafa Benitez left in 2010, with the only exception to the trend being the 2013-14 season. The Reds have failed to break down defensive teams on many occasions, costing them valuable points in the league. But now, after a stellar run in Europe last season, the belief and will to win has returned to Anfield. Winning when you are not playing well is a priceless ability which is possessed by the elite clubs of the world.
Liverpool has done that on many occasions this season, digging deep to get a single goal without the urgency of getting more. The ability to grind results on a regular basis is vital to any team aspiring to win trophies. In the Premier League, the Reds have won five games by one goal, without playing particularly at their best in any of those games. All that is required is a flash of brilliance or two from the likes of Salah, Mane or any of the other Reds forwards. The elite mentality of the players has helped them in many games against the likes of Brighton, Huddersfield and Everton. The Liverpool of old would have drawn or lost these games.
#1 World class defence
Like the previously mentioned points, Liverpool's defence in the last few seasons has been average. They leaked around 50 goals a season under Brendan Rodgers and hardly improved under Jurgen Klopp. The likes of Simon Mignolet, Alberto Moreno and Mamadou Sakho would not take the Reds to where they need to be. A complete overhaul of the back five by Klopp has turned Liverpool's fortunes around. The £8 million signing of Andy Robertson and the emergence of Academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold gave the Reds two excellent young full-backs who will only grow.
However, the biggest addition to the backline has been Virgil van Dijk, who joined the Reds in January for a club record £75 million. His presence has been so crucial in taking Liverpool to the Champions League final, a game which got away from them due to a couple of goalkeeping errors from Loris Karius. He was replaced in the summer by Alisson Becker, completing the transition of an average defence into a world class one. Factor in the excellent progress made by Joe Gomez and there you have the best defence in the league.
Liverpool has only conceded six goals so far this season, a huge difference from the old Liverpool. This has more than made up for a slightly watered down attack from last season. They are looking like the complete package and will surely be in the running for the Premier League title in the coming months if they keep this level of performance up.
