Liverpool's win over Aston Villa on Sunday pushed the club's point total to 89 with five matches remaining. Immortality, going down as the team to finish with the most points in a single Premier League campaign (and they used to play 42 matches!) is now well and truly on the table.
Already, Liverpool's total of 89 points has pushed them past the following all-timers:
Those are some of the finest teams in league history, and Jurgen Klopp's side have already surpassed them with five games to spare. The next goal insight: Man City's Centurions.
City racked up 100 points during the 2017/18 campaign. With five matches left to play, this Liverpool side could end the season with an almost unfathomable 104 points.
After a rocky return to play -- the game that shall not be discussed in Manchester, the plodding performances against Everton and Villa -- it remains an open question whether or not Klopp's side will match or exceed City's record-breakers.
So we asked our writers: Will Liverpool break the record?
Kristian Walsh: I genuinely cant work out Brighton. Are they good? Are they bad? I really like Neal Maupay, and not just because he absolutely fronted Arsenals faux fume after accidentally injuring Bernd Leno. He takes a lot of shots, and Im all for a striker who takes a lot of shots -- providing theyre in decent areas (and judging by his xG, they are).
A lot will depend on Liverpool however, and I think that will be a recurring theme throughout. If Liverpool are motivated, and if Liverpool play their regular game, then they should. Brighton are better than their position suggests -- or so the underlying numbers tell us -- but a team with three or four changes still scrapes through. Liverpool win 2-1.
Joel Rabinowitz: I suspect this one might be a fair bit trickier than many many expect. Brighton are a better side than their league position would suggest, and their expected points total places them somewhere in between Arsenal and Tottenham, as opposed to the teams scrapping for relegation below them. They also made things really quite difficult for Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season, and it required two Van Dijk headers from set pieces to break them down.
All that said, I think Liverpool will have enough to get the three points, but I fully expect theyll be made to work hard for it. Liverpool win 1-0
Dan Morgan: I think this game will come down a lot to team selection, and I expect Liverpool to be strong. There is an argument that Klopp picked his Aston Villa team with his Brighton team in mind, and therefore I expect to see more control in midfield areas especially.
Brighton were strong and well setup when they came to Anfield, but their situation is different now. I think theyll take more risks against this Liverpool side and therefore could be opened up if Liverpool are firing. All that said, Im going for a Liverpool win, and of course Bobby will score away. Liverpool win 3-1
Ollie Connolly: Im with Joel. I think this will be a tough game, particularly with the manager likely to rotate the side. The most notable element of Liverpools post-pause play has been the lack of rhythm when the main first Xi is not in the lineup. Chopping and changing -- a Minamino for Firmino here, Keita for Wijnaldum there -- will inevitably distort the tempo we saw during the home game against Crystal Palace. Performances are likely to take on that Aston Villa-vibe, with excellent 10-minutes bursts surrounded by a heaping of blah. Still: I expect a moment of individual brilliance will be enough to pick up three points. Liverpool win 1-0
Josh Williams: I'd be surprised if Liverpool concede. Brighton are averaging roughly 13 shots per goal in the Premier League this season which is worsened by only Norwich City. They aren't very clinical while Liverpool are the opposite, scoring every 7.1 shots. If Klopp fields his first-choice XI, I'd expect his attack to have enough to find the net at least once, although it's worth noting that the absence of one integral player tends to drastically impact the effectiveness of the Reds in the final third. Liverpool win 2-0
David Hughes: Brighton have avoided relegation whilst implementing a new philosophy at the club under Potter, that will represent a decent season for them. Now, with very little to play for, I dont expect them to cause Liverpool too many issues. Theyre winless against any of the current top six this season (D4, L6), failing to score in six of those matches. There was also an obvious lack of ambition in their 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United last week, a game in which they registered just two shots on target. Liverpool win 3-0
KW: Burnley. The only side who can score against Alisson Becker from a corner, with an assist from the wind (ps: it was also a foul). Actually, Ive just realised weve been saying Alisson hasnt conceded a goal from outside the box in the league since joining Liverpool. Does this not count? Im very confused.
It doesnt happen this time anyway. Klopp plays the same team he did against Aston Villa, it toils for 60, and then the subs change it against the tiring visitors. Again. It wont be pretty. Liverpool win 1-0.
JR: With it being at Anfield and Burnley not really having much to play for at this point, this is probably Liverpools most favourable remaining fixture. That isnt to say Burnley cant put up a decent fight and pose some degree of threat from set piece situations, but Liverpool shouldnt (in theory) have too many problems getting the job done here. Theyll really want to keep that 100% Anfield record going, too. Liverpool win 3-0
DM: Hello darkness my old friend. No matter how good a champion you are, or how bad a season theyve had, theres always something about Burnley visiting which makes your stomach knot. Last season was one of the strangest in living memory with tornado conditions, clearly obstructive goals standing and an Adam Lallana cameo nobody saw coming.
It will be a trickier game than many anticipate, and team selection will be interesting if not crucial. All that said: Liverpool win 2-0
OC: There is a case to be made both ways: Burnley, the bastion of consistency, could turn up looking to muck things up. If Liverpools concentration wains or Jurgen Klopp rotates, theres the formula for a dull draw or a sneaky upset. But at some point, this Burnley side is going to be running on fumes. Theyve been unable to properly rotate given the financial/management difficulties at the club. Being asked to play three matches a week with a squad of only 15 real first-teamers is damn near impossible. Even if Liverpool arent all the way up for this one, I think they cruise to a win. Liverpool win 4-0
JW: Burnley have a knack for securing results despite performing to a relatively average standard in most contents, but they usually need a clean sheet to do so. Keeping Liverpool quiet will be tough and on the attacking side of the game, all but one of the goals that Dyche's team have scored since the restart have derived from set-pieces. The Reds are highly capable when defending corners and freekicks, and Burnley's aerial raid doesn't usually work that well against Liverpool largely due to the dominance of Virgil van Dijk. I can't see the Clarets scoring, but I reckon Klopp's men will have enough - especially at Anfield - to bag at least one themselves. Liverpool win 2-0
DH: Its probably gone under the radar for most, but Burnely are decent again. At the time of writing, they have lost just one of their previous 11 Premier League matches and have an outside shot of securing European football next season. They dont tend to do well against the leagues best on the road though, and you dont face much better than Liverpool at Anfield. They have lost six of their eight away matches vs sides in the top ten and conceded two or more goals in six of those games too. Therefore I anticipate if Liverpool get one, then the floodgates will open. Liverpool win 4-0
KW: Im just imagining the alternate scenario I concocted in my head around February time. Liverpool, champions, and 35 games without a league defeat, head to the home of the Invincibles -- well, sort of, they actually achieved that at Highbury -- in a face-off which would have Sky Sports going montage crazy.
But then, you know. Watford. COVID-19. So Liverpool play out a 1-1 draw to a bunch of red seats, leading to people asking if Arsenal can challenge under Mikel Arteta next season (spoiler: they cant). 1-1 draw
JR: The rational side of me says Liverpool should absolutely be able to go to the Emirates and win, because theyre a far, far superior side to Arsenal in every single department. Theres a very good reason why there are 40 points separating the two sides, after all.
However, for some reason, I have a feeling this might be a bit of a banana skin. After their dismal start to the restart, Arsenal have been much improved over the past few games and looked uncharacteristically resolute in their impressive away victory against Wolves at Molineux.
As much as deep structural issues remain throughout the side, they do still possess genuine quality up front capable of causing almost any team problems if they click, and while theyve only won 12 games from 33 in the league so far this season, they dont actually lose as often as youd think (especially at home). So, as pessimistic as it might sound, Im going for a point here. 2-2 draw
DM: This is interesting for the simple reason of Arsenals performance at Wolves. A 2-0 win away to Nuno Espirito Santos men should not be scoffed at, nor should Mikel Artetas switch to a 3-4-3 shape, with Eddie Nketiah central, Bukayo Saka right and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang right of a front three.
Should he keep that shape, it will either cause Liverpool a raft of problems on turnovers or leave the home side wide open when the Reds retrieve the ball. I have a feeling it might be the latter. In my opinion, if Liverpool score one, Arsenal will implode. Liverpool win 4-0
OC: The start of a tricky double-header. The two questions for me: Will Klopp play his strongest XI in both the Arsenal game and the Chelsea one that follows? Do Arsenal have something tangible to play for? I think the answers are yes and yes.
Arsenals forward line is concerning. Liverpool have been off-the-boil defensively since the restart. Theyve been consistently overwhelmed in the middle of the pitch and have struggled with individuals straying out of position, most notably in transition -- Everton, Man City, Aston Villa. Thats where Arsenal can be ruthless.
With that said, Mikel Artetas team have some almighty defensive challenges of their own. A back-and-forth game would favour Liverpool. Liverpool win 3-1
JW: This one could be tricky. Arteta seems very smart but what will he demand from his players on the day? A high defensive line? Playing out from the back? If so, Liverpool are likely to benefit considering the error-prone defenders that are contracted to Arsenal. The Gunners tend to give away gifts to opposing players close to goal. In attack, Arsenal are surprisingly quiet with Norwich City and Aston Villa averaging more shots per 90 this season, but they do have great quality when it comes to finishing. Liverpool's uninspired performances of late still offer enough to beat most opponents, but Arsenal have enough to punish the Reds if they turn up to the Emirates with the wrong attitude. A lot will be determined by which team scores first in this one. 1-1 draw
DH: Arteta may be early into his tenure as Arsenal boss, but he is already learning some valuable lessons that are paying dividends on the pitch. One of which is protecting the erratic David Luiz with not one but two additional centre-backs. The teams switch to a 3-4-3 after the Brighton defeat looks to be boosting their capacity at both ends of the pitch in recent weeks. They still have a long way to go, but with European places still to play for, I am expecting this one to be tough for the Reds. Draw 2-2
KW: So I make that 96 points with two to play. Eeeeesh. And there will also be the added incentive of Liverpool lifting the Premier League trophy (as Dan mentions) as well as completing the 19-game set. Liverpool are not NOT winning this one. Thats it. Thats my analysis. Liverpool win 2-1.
JR: Chelsea are a mad team under Frank Lampard. Theyve got it in them to beat Manchester City, then theyll go and lose to West Ham the following game, before comfortably dispatching Watford. You just dont know which version will turn up on any given occasion.
If, by the time this one rolls around, Liverpool have beaten Burnley, then theyll be on the brink of becoming the first team in Premier League history to win all 19 home games in a season. That will simultaneously serve as an enormous incentive for Liverpool, but you can imagine Chelsea would absolutely love to be the ones to stop them doing it right at the death. Hopefully my prediction proves to be wrong, but I have a sneaking feeling they might succeed in doing just that. 1-1 draw
DM: Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool are lifting the Premier League trophy. Liverpool win 2-1
OC:I consider myself the Generalissimo of the Frank-Lampard-is-a-fraudulent-manager support group, but Lampards side has had some undeniably impressive performances against big clubs this season. While they lack the consistency to sustain at a high level, theyre capable of brilliant one-off displays. There's just something about Chelsea at Anfield, you know. Liverpool losing their unbeaten home record and then raising the title would feel wrong, so I'll plump for an up-and-down score draw. 1-1 draw
JW: Liverpool have faced Chelsea three times already this season, struggling performance-wise every time. The first meeting in the Premier League was decided by the set-piece expertise of Klopp's outfit, with both goals coming from freekicks in a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are vulnerable from those situations, with Frank Lampard stating recently that the solution lies with signing 'taller players'. Chelsea are difficult to outplay and they have enough to prevent and hurt Liverpool on their day, especially considering they are still fighting for something meaningful this season. It's Liverpool's final match of the season at Anfield, but it could be the first one that doesn't result in three points being secured. 1-1 draw
DH: This game is by far the hardest to call. With the title in touching distance - literally, its unclear what the psyche of the Liverpool players will be. They put on a show vs Crystal Palace on the eve of their title confirmation at Anfield two weeks ago, and they could well repeat that here. However, should their interest waiver to events after the final whilst, then Chelsea could be the side to ruin their perfect Premier League home record (providing its still intact). All three meetings between the two this season have been settled by fine margins, I expect the same here. Liverpool 2-1
KW: Based on the underlying numbers, Newcastle should be bottom. The fact they sit in mid-table, safe from relegation, is an absolute miracle; one in the eye of all us data boys and girls (although it will bite them terribly next season if they dont splurge 500million if/when the takeover happens). Even since the restart, they are scoring more than they would be expected to, and conceding fewer.
But I just think one last lap will be harder than any of us might imagine. It will be the sixth game in 21 days after a prolonged three-month absence from competitive football. You would imagine Arsenal and Chelsea would be relatively high intensity games, and Newcastle have a few extra days off.
It is going to be a coin flip. 0-0 draw and Liverpool end exactly on 100 points.
JR: St James Park is very rarely an easy place to go, and on the sly Newcastle have been one of the standout teams in the league since the restart, producing a handful of really impressive performances and results (albeit against relatively low quality opposition).
The final day of the season can often produced the unexpected, but if Liverpool have the 100-point mark in their sights by this point, I think theyll give absolutely everything they have to at least equal Citys record and end this historic season with a flourish, even if they cant quite beat it, which would still represent a phenomenal achievement. Liverpool win 4-1 and end on exactly 100 points.
DM: Its after the Lord Mayors show slightly, and lets not forget Newcastle United are not a bad side. The Arsenal and Chelsea dates mean that the likelihood is well be stringent in selection in those games which could lead to mass changes here. It wont finish on a complete low, but I can see this as the only game in which we drop points. Liverpool draw 1-1 and end on exactly 102 points.
OC: By this point, I project Klopp will be happy to cede to a near-complete rotation of the starting XI. If ever there was time to give a full 90 minutes to the likes of Curtis Jones, Kai-Jana Hoever, and Harvey Elliott, it's in a dead rubber at the end of the season against a solid if unspectacular Newcastle team. Rotating would allow Klopp to give a little bit more rest to the key starters ahead of what will be a rapid turn around time before next season. Ideally, the rotation breaths a bit of life into a side that should/might/could be coming off the Arsenal-Chelsea double-header and having raised the trophy at Anfield. A Keita-Minamino double sends Liverpool into next season on a high. Liverpool win 2-1 and end on exactly 102 points.
JW: It's reasonable to suggest that this clash won't be the most competitive considering Newcastle are likely to be positioned in midtable. The Toon have defied logic this season, as their performances simply haven't aligned with their results. Steve Bruce has managed to refine a playing style that largely involves being dominated while retaining a notable threat on the break thanks to the qualities of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron to name but two of the speedy attackers for the Magpies. If Liverpool manage counterattacks and set-pieces, United are unlikely to score, but the Reds will have to find a way through the lowest of blocks. This could be a boring 1-0 but depending on the focus of Bruce's team, it could very easily become a 4-0 drubbing. Liverpool win 2-0 and end on exactly 100 points.
DH: After disliking Newcastle for almost the entirety of the season, I have to hold my hands up and say they have earned my respect. All the underlying numbers point to them being one of the worst sides in the league, but then mind you, they also rank Man City as the best! Ultimately though, Newcastle have done a good job of honing in on their few strengths and grinding out some big results. Theyll likely sit back and frustrate Liverpool (and everyone watching) for 90 minutes whilst trying to get something on the break. Or they may fancy their chances from a set-piece - at the time of writing, they have scored as many set-piece goals as Liverpool with 12, which is impressive. But I suspect Liverpool may want to finish with a bang here and I back them to do it. Liverpool 3-1 and end on exactly 102 points.
See the original post here:
Liverpool are five games from immortality, but there are six special ways to achieve it - Liverpool.com
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
