OPINION
Winning a Premier League title is never easy, with the season packed with 38 games in which a different twist or turn every weekend – just ask Liverpool.
The Reds have yet to win a Premier League despite recent European success under Jurgen Klopp, and they came as close as they possibly could last season, finishing with 97 points after a remarkable effort.
Liverpool only lost once against eventual champions Manchester City, who beat them to top spot by a singular point in a season which came down to the fact that Pep Guardiola’s men drew fewer games.
Although some might still see it as a missed opportunity, Klopp and his side will surely be using that heartbreak as motivation to push on and doing something special this season, starting with Friday night’s opener against newly-promoted Norwich City.
The Merseyside club need to put their foot down and make a statement at Anfield, and what better way to do it than potentially blowing the Canaries away for everyone to see.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has backed Liverpool to do just that in their opener in his column for the Daily Mail, suggesting that the Reds will need to be perfect to finish top of the pile come the end of the season.
Keown said in another article for the Mail: “To not win the Premier League title last season when losing only once and picking up 97 points was remarkable.
“It showed that if you are to be crowned champions ahead of Pep Guardiola’s City, then you have to be pretty much perfect.”
Many Liverpool fans will surely be sweating over Keown’s remarks, and will not be looking forward to another season of potentially battling Manchester City for the title, in another season where one mistake could cost them.
Man City were one of the teams to beat last season, having averaged 64% possession in each game last season which led to them scoring 2.5 goals every outing [Source: WhoScored].
Compare that to Liverpool’s record and you can see why the Reds’ are facing a big task to replicate their form from the previous campaign. Klopp’s men averaged 58.8% possession per game which led to them scoring 2.3 goals [Source: WhoScored]. This is most likely fewer because of the reliance on their influential front-three.
Many Liverpool fans will surely be optimistic whilst also sweating over Keown’s claims, with the realisation that their team will surely have to be perfect to end Man City’s recent reign of dominance.
