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The last major trophy Liverpool won was in 2006 when they beat West Ham on penalties in the FA Cup final. The last time Liverpool won the league was in 1990. The closest Liverpool came since then to winning the league was in 2013/14 when they finished 2nd with 84 points whereas winners Manchester City had 86. This was the season when Suarez and Sturridge were a lethal strike force and Liverpool almost won only to lose it against Chelsea with the infamous Gerrard slip.
So without looking more into the past, I believe this is the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to win the league. For starters, Liverpool have been playing under Klopp since October 2015 which should be enough time to adapt to the style of football which Klopp expects of them. Klopp likes his players to press high up as a team and that often is extremely draining for a team over an entire season.
That should not be a huge problem this season as Liverpool have tried to build their squad depth. Adding Fabinho gives Liverpool a defensive midfielder who can also slot in at right-back if needed. Naby Keita is a very talented midfielder and will benefit Liverpool immensely. With Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana and Milner still in the squad, the depth of that midfield seems to have increased.
Liverpool has also added Shaqiri providing some added flair on the wings. Origi and Markovic have returned from their loan spells adding much-needed depth to the attacking options. Finally, they paid a hefty sum to purchase Alisson who is a major upgrade in the goalkeeping department over Karius.
Mane, Salah, and Firmino are a tried and tested lethal trio up front. If Salah can better or even continue his form from last season, Liverpool are on the right track to have a successful season. Trent Alexander-Arnold will be hoping to improve this coming season along with Andrew Robertson. It is yet to be seen who is paired up with Van Dijk at the back but it is fair to say that on paper Liverpool seem like a far more balanced side than they did in previous years.
While there are a lot of positives, often Liverpool do not find a way to break down teams which defend with almost the entire squad behind the ball. Some might argue that Liverpool still lack that one creative midfielder similar to De Bruyne or Pogba or even Gerrard who can unlock a defence with his incisive passing.
Arsenal and Chelsea both have new managers who will test themselves in the Premier League for the first time. Tottenham have yet to purchase any players in the current transfer window. Manchester United have had a poor preseason and none of their signings have been jaw-dropping. With all these variables in play, Liverpool along with Manchester City have a genuine opportunity to compete for and win the Premier League.
Whether this will be that season where Liverpool wins a major title or will such articles be written next year too is yet to be seen.
