Liverpool are starting to believe in Premier League glory

LIVERPOOL, England — Whisper it quietly, however on the terraces of Anfield, they’re beginning to imagine. Within the closing minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over strugglers Leicester Metropolis, cries of “Liverpool, high of the league” might be heard echoing from the Kop, and the sense that Arne Slot’s facet are on the right track to attain one thing particular this season is rising.

Forward of kick-off, highlights of the final Boxing Day assembly between these two sides had been broadcast on the screens exterior the stadium. Liverpool’s dominance on that event in 2019 was such that Jürgen Klopp would later title the sport as his crew’s greatest-ever Premier League efficiency, with two objectives from Roberto Firmino and a aim from James Milner and Trent Alexander-Arnold, respectively, serving to the Reds to a convincing 4-0 win on the King Energy Stadium.

That victory noticed Liverpool transfer 13 factors clear on the high of the desk — with Leicester on the time their closest challengers — and irrefutably marked Klopp’s facet out as champions-elect. By the point Premier League soccer was halted as a result of coronavirus pandemic in mid-March 2020, Liverpool had a 25-point lead on the summit, with only one defeat and one attract 27 league video games.

For all of their brilliance, Slot’s facet haven’t fairly matched these heady heights this time period, however the inconsistency of their rivals means they don’t have to. In contrast to in earlier seasons when the relentlessness of Manchester Metropolis has necessitated near-perfection from any pretender to their crown, it’s Liverpool who’re setting the tempo on this title race.

Metropolis’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Thursday afternoon left Pep Guardiola’s facet 11 factors adrift of the highest spot, having performed two video games greater than Slot’s facet. Chelsea’s last-gasp defeat to Fulham later within the afternoon introduced Liverpool with an extra alternative to ascertain themselves as title favourites.

It was a chance they grabbed, if not fairly with each fingers, then at the least with sufficient conviction to point that they’re very a lot the crew to beat in the meanwhile, each domestically and in Europe, with victory shifting them seven factors clear on the high of the desk with a recreation in hand.

Leicester are admittedly not as formidable a foe as they had been in 2019. They’d received only one recreation in 10 heading into Thursday night time’s conflict on Merseyside and had not received at Liverpool’s dwelling stadium since March 2000.

Nonetheless, Slot had acknowledged the perils of underestimating any Premier League opponent in his pre-match information convention and his phrases appeared to be proving prophetic when Jordan Ayew fired Leicester in entrance inside six minutes. The aim got here massively towards the run of play, with Mohamed Salah having seen an effort crash off the publish solely minutes earlier, however it was a wise end from Leicester’s No. 18, who held off the attentions of Andy Robertson to show and slot coolly previous Alisson Becker after a fantastic run down the left by Stephy Mavididi.

Liverpool continued to rack up the possibilities as they pursued an equaliser, with first Robertson after which Salah hitting the woodwork. However Slot’s facet appeared to lack the attacking fluency they’d exhibited in abundance of their swashbuckling win over Tottenham on the weekend, whereas Leicester continued to threaten on the break.

Nonetheless, one factor Liverpool have gotten more and more adept at underneath Slot is discovering methods to win, and this time it fell to Cody Gakpo to set the wheels in movement for a comeback. The Dutchman curled dwelling a elegant effort from distance to revive parity on the stroke of half-time.

If the perfect time to attain is simply earlier than the break, then discovering the again of the web shortly after the restart should absolutely come a detailed second, and that’s exactly what Liverpool did, taking the lead via Curtis Jones simply 4 minutes into the second half. The midfielder utilized the final touch to a spell of intense strain from the hosts, diverting the ball previous Premier League debutant Jakub Stolarczyk after a drilled cross from Alexis Mac Allister.

After the aim was confirmed following a prolonged examine from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Liverpool’s celebrations may start in earnest. The Kop struck up a rousing refrain of the carol ‘O Come All Ye Devoted,’ calling on the watching world to “come and behold” Slot’s facet.

Such adulation is quick changing into the soundtrack to Liverpool’s season. The hosts thought they’d made it 3-1 when Gakpo swept dwelling from a deflected Salah cutback, however extra protracted scrutiny from VAR resulted in Darwin Núñez — who endured one other tough night — being dominated offside within the build-up.

Simply when it regarded as if Liverpool might be set for a nervy finish to the match, Salah curled in his nineteenth aim of the season so as to add but additional gloss to what has already been a mesmeric particular person marketing campaign. The significance of making certain that he stays at Anfield past the expiration of his contract subsequent summer time appears to accentuate with each passing week.

On the full-time whistle, Slot’s celebrations had been understated, and the Liverpool boss was fast to emphasize the significance of remaining grounded, whilst his crew’s title march gathers tempo.

“Little bit of a boring reply and as a supervisor you go recreation by recreation — you know the way many video games it’s important to play,” the Dutchman stated after the sport when requested if his facet are in pole place to win the league.

“So many groups have a lot high quality. If this occurred within the Eredivisie, I might say OK that’s true.”

Whereas Liverpool followers know solely too properly that being high of the desk at Christmas does not all the time translate into silverware within the Spring, it’s laborious to flee the sensation that yielding the membership’s twentieth league title is a possible prospect this time period.

Slot’s facet weren’t at their finest towards Leicester however, as they got here via yet one more take a look at within the heavy Merseyside fog on Boxing Day, their standing as title favourites seems extra clear than ever.