The Red half of Merseyside has been abuzz with optimism ever since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp. Klopp’s reign at Liverpool has seen the formation of a well-rounded side that holds genuine title aspirations.
Liverpool currently sit one point behind league leaders Chelsea, whose next game is away at Manchester City. This means that the Reds will more than likely end this weekend on top of the table. Here are five reasons why they are title favourites.
#1 The Front Three
Liverpool, currently have the best attack in the league and this is evidenced by the fact that they have scored 32 goals, which is more than any other team in the league. It is also quite clear to see that the potency of this attack is heavily contingent on the performance of the front three, which consists of Coutinho, Firmino and Mane.
These three have dovetailed beautifully and executed Klopp’s attacking schemes to perfection. The biggest reason for this success is that each of them has brought their own unique strengths to the table.
For instance, Coutinho has the vision, passing, touch and eye for goal of a classical Number 10. On the other hand, Firmino is the leader of Klopp’s famed counter press and is also a clinical finisher, while Mane gives the Reds the explosiveness, dribbling and directness, that can take them to the next level.
At the time of writing, Coutinho has been diagnosed with ankle ligament damage which will keep him out till January. However, Liverpool have a relatively easy schedule over that time period, so this injury shouldn’t do too much damage to their title hopes.
#2 Better centre back pairing than recent years
A myth that has been propagated about this Liverpool side is that they have a substandard defence, but the stats tell a different story. They have only conceded 14 goals this season, and only four other teams have conceded fewer.
This is largely due to the signing of Joel Matip on a Bosman transfer. The Cameroon international has not only slotted into the Red’s backline seamlessly, but also considerably elevated their defensive play. He has displayed tremendous awareness, positioning, aerial ability and leadership this season. His leadership have also provided a huge boost to his centre back partner Lovren.
The Croatian had looked like a flop for two years at Anfield, but the arrival of Matip has given him direction and confidence, which has transformed the Liverpool central defence into a sturdy one.
#3 Jurgen Klopp impact
The strongest claim this article can make to argue that Liverpool are title favourites is that Jurgen Klopp is the best manager to nurture young talent in the Premier League. This is not only evidenced by the strides taken by several Liverpool players this year, but also by the many world-class players he unearthed in Dortmund.
The list of great players who developed under him at Signal Iduna Park includes the likes of Lewandowski, Gotze, Reus, Hummels, Sokratis, Aubameyang and Gündogan. These young gems, aided by Klopp’s system temporarily ended Bayern’s hegemony in Germany and won the Bundesliga twice.
Klopp’s reign also saw Dortmund enjoy a memorable run to the Champions League final, during which they eliminated Ronaldo and Mourinho’s Real Madrid in one of the best Semi-Finals of all time. Several of the positive traits of those brilliant Dortmund sides are already appearing within Liverpool and the Reds will only keep getting better.
#4 Performances against title contenders
Jose Mourinho has won the Premier League in 3 of the 5 seasons he has completed in the Premier League. One of the biggest reasons he has done so is because of his ability to continuously record wins over his title rivals.
This Liverpool side possesses a similar trait from the moment Klopp took the reigns at Anfield. In fact, they have already beaten Arsenal and Chelsea away from home this season, and they were unlucky to not beat Spurs and Manchester United. During the second half of the season, they will play most of their rivals at home and they will be heavily favoured to win these games. The clashes between teams at the top will end up being a significant factor in Liverpool's quest to bring the league title back to Anfield.
#5 No European Football
Not having to play European football is an advantage that Liverpool holds over most of its title rivals. This means that the Reds will only have to play a handful of midweek games this season, so they can rest their players and prepare them more extensively over the course of a week.
As a result of this, Klopp’s men will go into every league game with fresher legs and better preparation than their title rivals. Let’s not forget that, this was also a big contributing factor in Leicester City’s title win last year.
