Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side put in a very impressive performance in their last game as they comfortably beat Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield. The Reds shared out the goals with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge all getting themselves on the scoresheet.
It was a good way to round off what has been a successful start to the season for Klopp’s men which also saw them progress into the group stage of the UEFA Champions League as they overcame German side 1899 Hoffenheim over two legs. Some may believe that the international break has come at the wrong time for them due to the momentum they currently have following their recent run of form.
We take a look at how Liverpool’s recent result could be a cause for concern at Manchester City who have huge aspirations to win the Premier League themselves this season under the management of Pep Guardiola.
Can Liverpool finally win the Premier League?
Liverpool supporters will be concerned about their side’s chances of success in the Premier League this season after so many ‘nearly’ campaigns in the last few seasons. They came agonisingly close in the 2013/14 campaign under the management of Brendan Rodgers as they finished second to Manchester City.
However, towards the end of the season, Liverpool seemed to lose many vital points in big games such as in the 3-3 draw away at Crystal Palace and the 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea which saw club legend Steven Gerrard make a costly error. This was Liverpool’s best chance of winning the league title as they had Luis Suarez at the top of his game as well as other attacking talent such as Raheem Sterling and a fully fit Sturridge.
We are still in the very early stages of the campaign, but Klopp has installed a new sense of hope and optimism on Merseyside. He has got the Reds playing some of the best attacking football they have played in a significant amount of time, even without Philippe Coutinho. If they produce performances like they did against Arsenal on a consistent basis throughout the season, they would be right up there at the top of the table come next May without a doubt.
This has to be a worry for everyone connected with Manchester City due to the fact that they were favourites to win the Premier League before the season kicked off and Guardiola is under significant pressure to deliver silverware this season. They already have significant competition this season in the form of Manchester United and Chelsea, and if Liverpool are also in the mix for the title, then it is only going to make their objective even harder to achieve.
Manchester City face the Reds after the international break
Liverpool’s 4-0 thrashing of Arsenal signalled the end of the first phase of the Premier League as we now go into a two-week international break. However, when it returns, the Reds will travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in what looks set to be a mouth-watering encounter. Guardiola’s men will certainly not fancy playing Liverpool after witnessing their performance against Arsenal and will have to be at the top of their game to get a result.
If Liverpool could continue their excellent start to the season after the international break with another three points against City, they would put themselves into contention for a push for the title even more as well as simultaneously piling the pressure onto City boss Guardiola. Liverpool have always been capable of producing a superb performance, but it has been their inability to produce them on a consistent basis that has been their issue. If they can produce another good performance at City, then it could be a sign that Klopp will have the Reds performing on a consistent basis throughout this season.
City have been far from convincing so far
It could be argued that Liverpool’s performance against Arsenal yesterday afternoon was one of the best in the Premier League so far this season. They have taken no time to get going, and this could be down to the extra competitive game time they have received from having to play in the Champions League play-off round. They have been almost faultless so far this campaign with the only slip-up coming on the opening day in the 3-3 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.
The same cannot be said for City as they have been far from convincing in a majority of their games so far. They managed to beat newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 in their opening game with two late second-half goals and were clearly not at their best. They then had to score a late equaliser against Everton at home to rescue a point, albeit having gone down to ten men. Most recently, Guardiola’s men secured a last gasp 2-1 win at Bournemouth courtesy of Sterling.
There is no doubt that Guardiola’s side have not got anywhere near the level of performance that they can produce so far this season. This will give Liverpool hope that they can go to the Etihad and secure the three points before going on to challenge them for the Premier League title throughout the rest of the season.
