Clive Tyldesley has disputed claims that Liverpool have been lucky this season, and has instead suggested that Sunday’s win over Tottenham was the first time that the Reds have gotten more than they deserved this season.
A late howler from Hugo Lloris gifted Jurgen Klopp’s men all three points, but Sky commentator Tyldesley believes that every other result the Reds have gotten this campaign has been well-earned.
Writing in a column for The Anfield Wrap, he said: “If the Premier League insist on inscribing ‘Lucky Liverpool’ on their trophy next month, I don’t suppose it will spoil the title celebrations for any of you.
“Champions are rarely popular. They are never lucky.
“Liverpool got a little lucky just before 6.30pm at Anfield last Sunday evening. A draw with Tottenham would have been a fair result (whatever the hell a ‘fair result’ is) but sport was never meant to be fair.
“I think there is a strong argument to say that Sunday was the first time in this entire league campaign that Liverpool have come away from a game with more than they truly deserved.”
OPINION
This is a bold statement from Tyldesley, but you would have to say that he’s probably about right. The most obvious examples that might be used to dispute his argument would probably be the late winners against Everton and Chelsea, but in both cases you could definitely argue that they were no more than the Reds deserved. Against Everton in particular, they missed a number of chances that ordinarily would have buried the game before we got anywhere near the unfortunate howler that Jordan Pickford committed to gift Divock Origi a winner. These things have a tendency to work on a swings and roundabouts basis as it is. Even if you argue that they shouldn’t have taken all three points against the Toffees, then you have to admit that they were unlucky not to take an early lead in a match they eventually lost to Manchester City, or not to play that game against 10 men after a wild challenge from Vincent Kompany. It may not be a popular view, but Tyldesley is on the money.
