Following Liverpool’s 2-0 win over reigning champions, Manchester City, on 23rd February 2025 at The Etihad Stadium, Arne Slot’s side cemented their status as heavy favourites to lift their first Premier League title since the 2019-2020 season. Back then, Jürgen Klopp led Liverpool to their 19th Premier League success in their proud history, and a 20th is looking likely to follow this season.
The win put Liverpool 11 points clear at the time, and online bookmakers subsequently shaved the odds on Slot’s charges lifting the trophy even further. Daily news on UK betting have all but crowned Liverpool champions, with odds of below evens at this stage of the season proof of the consistency The Reds have displayed this season. With Mohamed Salah in the form of his life and matches running out for other teams, can anyone else mount a late challenge to pull off the most astonishing comebacks in Premier League history?
Can anyone catch Liverpool?
In short, probably not. Following Liverpool’s win in Manchester and the ensuing 11-point gap that opened up, a lead of that size has only been pulled back three times in Premier League history. Manchester United twice hauled back a 12-point deficit in the 1992/93 and 1995/96 seasons, chasing down Aston Villa and Newcastle United respectively, the latter featuring the famous “I will love it” rant from Kevin Keegan. Arsenal is the other team to have masterminded a season comeback, closing down an astonishing 13 points to Manchester United in the 1997/98 campaign.
Arsenal will have to repeat that feat if they are to win their first title since the 2003/04 “Invincibles” season. With surprise package Nottingham Forest expected to fade away, and Manchester City enduring a disappointing campaign to date, the emphasis will be on Mikel Arteta’s charges to push Liverpool as hard as possible. Losing 0-1 at home to West Ham United a day before Liverpool beat Manchester City was a huge blow to The Gunners’ title hopes. However, they have done it before, and stranger things have happened in football.
Capitalising on the failures of others
While Liverpool have been almost flawless in Slot’s debut campaign in the Anfield dugout, the fact that other rivals have endured significant issues cannot be ignored. Take nothing away from Liverpool’s performances and consistency so far, but with Manchester City and Arsenal struggling with injuries and in front of goal, there is a feeling that Liverpool needs to take full advantage while their rivals endure tough times.
Manchester City’s plight is well documented. A serious ACL injury sustained by key defensive midfielder, Rodri, at the end of September 2024, was a hammer blow to Pep Guardiola and how his team play. City have not looked the same since with a lack of energy in midfield compounding the absence of the 2024 UEFA European Championship winner. With the likes of Ilkay Gündoğan and Kevin De Bruyne entering the advanced years of their careers, coupled with the Play-Off Round defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, Guardiola and the City hierarchy have resigned themselves to a season of transition, where securing Champions League football is the ultimate objective.
With Manchester United going through their own turbulent times, Tottenham Hotspur plagued by injuries and Chelsea’s inflated and imbalanced squad that relies on Cole Palmer, Arsenal have once again been the team to take the challenge to the league leaders. While they could not overhaul Manchester City in the past couple of seasons, it seems they will fall short once again, and of their own doing.
The failure to sign a recognised striker either in the summer of 2024 or the 2025 January transfer window when the club have been screaming out for one for years will likely come back to haunt Arsenal again. Long-term injuries (even at this point of the season) to Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz have amplified the lack of a clinical number nine and in a sport of fine margins, the reluctance to solve this issue might continue to hold Arsenal back.
Liverpool to add more trophies?
While online bookmakers have all but physically handed the Premier League trophy to Liverpool, the lead and potential ability to rest and rotate players could help Liverpool in their quest for Carabao Cup and Champions League glory. Despite suffering a surprising defeat to Championship side Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup, Slot’s team are in a good position to do a potential treble. The immediate future has a tough showdown in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United in store for Salah and co., that comes straight off the back of a challenging two-legged Round of 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
However, if Liverpool can successfully navigate their way through March, they would set themselves up for a grandstand finish to the season. And one where they could potentially be crowned the best team in England and in Europe.
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