The Euros are over and in the blink of an eye, the Premier League is back. It only seems like yesterday that Jurgen Klopp announced himself as one of the world’s greatest managers by winning Liverpool’s first Premier League title. After running away with the league in 2019-20 by a whopping 18 points, the Reds struggled to retain the crown last season and fell to a disappointing third place behind the two Manchester clubs.
It’s too early to judge form this season so it’s important to see what the professionals think before backing clubs for your weekly accumulator. That said, Liverpool looks a strong bet to win the Premier League in 2021-22.
Here’s why.
1. Experience
Until recent years, Liverpool had been perennial nearly men in the Premier League, regularly finishing in the top four but never threatening at the pinnacle of the table when the business end of the season came. Jurgen Klopp changed this.
The German’s team assembly not only changed the personnel within the squad, but more importantly, he changed the mentally within the roster. Klopp’s famous gegenpressing tactic was not only instrumental in the team success but the fierce pressure imposed on opponents translated into determination for the players and created a frenetic atmosphere in the stadium.
Whatever mental block had previously cursed players disappeared in 2020 and Liverpool were free-scoring whilst maintaining the best defensive record in the division. This experience saw fans relax as the game entered the final stages, a feeling that Kopites haven’t enjoyed regularly for decades!
2. The Best Front Three in World Football
It’s little surprise that Liverpool have kept their primary attacking threats of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané after their domineering performances since Klopp brought them together. Until Lionel Messi recently joined PSG there was no argument that Liverpool had the best front three in world football, but even with the addition of arguably the greatest player of all time, there’s still an argument that PSG’s Neymar, Mbappe and Messi trio don’t outrank the Merseyside talent.
The trio have linked up for a ridiculous 237 goals over the past few years, and with another season to improve their understanding under their belt, 2021/22 should be the perfect season for them to tear the league up.
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Firmino, the link between Salah and Mané, is the most creative of the front three. ‘Bobby Firmino’ as he’s affectionately known by the fans, has become an influential figure of the Liverpool side and is primarily utilised as a false nine, a role that is paramount in Klopp’s tactics.
Mo Salah is rapid and the Egyptian’s agility, feinting ability and remarkable finishing make him truly prolific and he’s widely regarded as one of the best wingers in the game. Having learned to link up well with English full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, Salah understands when to make the right runs when the creative defender is in possession.
Also Read – Liverpool set to prioritise a contract extension with star player Mohamed Salah
Sadio Mané frequently moves centrally to provide a direct threat on goal with attacking runs that stretch the opposition. One of the quickest players in the league, the Senegalese striker pounces on chances and is regularly one of the main goal threats for Liverpool. Even though Mané struggled for form during periods last season, his relentless tracking and pressing of opponents proved pivotal and showed that the 2019 African footballer of the Year has a value to the team which runs far beyond statistics.
3. Transfer Window
Even though it’s been a relatively quiet transfer window for Liverpool in comparison to some of the other Premier League teams, it’s been very successful and that’s largely down to player retention rather than new talent.
Liverpool have one of the best and most imperious defenders in the game in Virgil van Dijk and whilst the Dutch centre back missed most of the last campaign through injury, the 30-year-old was influential in the 2020 title win and is almost back to full fitness. Liverpool have recently tied up their player until 2025 much to the adoration of the fans.
Van Dijk isn’t the only superstar to commit his future to the club. The board have done well to acquire signatures to extend the stays of homegrown prodigy Trent Alexander-Arnold until 2025, as well as the Brazilian pair of Fabinho and Alisson until 2026 and 2027 respectively.
Working towards the weekend 💪
Is right, @IbrahimaKonate_ 🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/wTuWETjGuj
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 18, 2021
Liverpool did highlight one problem area last season with van Dijk’s untimely injury, and that was a lack of depth in defence. The Board have taken action and invested £36 million to bring highly-rated Ibrahima Konaté to the club from RB Leipzig. The 22-year-old French defender is seen as one of the stars of the future and he’ll have the benefit of learning from van Dijk, ensuring he reaches his impressive potential.
4. The Opposition
Whilst Liverpool will be firmly focused on themselves this campaign, it’s impossible not to look at their competitors and the changes to their squads and tactics.
Manchester City, the favourites to retain the title after their emphatic 2021 season, lost the opening fixture of the season to Spurs. The champions splashed out £100 million on English starlet Jack Grealish, but this won’t concern the Kopites too much he doesn’t add another dimension to the side, he simply adds to the plethora of talent in their squad.
Rumours have circled all summer of Harry Kane joining the Citizens and this could be the biggest threat to Liverpool’s title bid. Kane, three-time Golden Boot winner, would certainly add goals and even creativity to the side and would significantly strengthen what is ostensibly their only vulnerability.
1st training session complete. 🥶✅ @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/wN3QF18VDo
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) August 9, 2021
Manchester United were a force last season but the addition of Jadon Sancho could cause disruption in the ranks as the Red Devils now have multiple world-class talents vying for only two positions on the wings. Solskjær will need to rotate his key players in a bid to keep them happy, but it’s unlikely the Old Trafford based side will have the resilience defensively to compete at the end of the season.
