Ian Wright has been having his say on Liverpool after they moved further clear at the top of the Premier League
‘Liverpool, top of the league’ rang around Anfield as Arne Slot’s side beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday night. However, it may be a little while until ‘We’re gonna win the league’ is aired.
The Reds may be five points clear of Manchester City at the top but supporters will be wary of the defending champions’ famed powers of recovery.
That said Liverpool, under their impressive new head coach Slot, do look the real deal and the questions that were asked of them going into a run of fixtures containing clashes with Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion (twice), Bayer Leverkusen and then Villa were answered emphatically.
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After a Premier League trip to basement boys Southampton after the international break, it gets no easier for the Reds, who will face Real Madrid and Manchester City at home and Newcastle United and Everton away in the space of 11 taxing days.
Come through those matches with flying colours and maybe, just maybe, supporters will begin truly to wonder if a 20th top-flight title could be on its way to Anfield.
But for some pundits, they already believe that Liverpool, who are also nine points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal in third and fourth respectively, are in a potentially unassailable position.
Speaking to BetVictor about the form of Virgil van Dijk and his fellow defenders, former Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp said: “Liverpool have been so solid this season and every week it’s that pairing of Ibrahima Konate and Van Dijk that dominate. It’s looking like Liverpool’s title to lose, and their captain has been superb so far this season.”
It’s a train of thought shared by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, who despite his allegiances lying elsewhere, is never shy in praising the Reds.
Speaking to Kelly Cates on Premier League Productions, Wright echoed Redknapp but also swatted aside the accusation that Liverpool are only top because they’ve had an easier start than their rivals.
“It’s Liverpool’s to lose now,” said Wright. “What I don’t like what people are saying is: ‘Liverpool have had an easy start’. You can’t choose your start.
“You just have to knock those games off, build confidence and build momentum.
“You look at the Villa game and Darwin Nunez should have scored a hat-trick and could have made it a lot easier than what it was.
“But Liverpool are top because they’ve got the best defence, the midfield with players like (Ryan) Gravenberch, and they’ve got game-winners and players who can take chances up top.”
The Reds have won more games than any other club in the Premier League (9), lost the fewest matches (1), have the best goal difference (+15) and have conceded the fewest goals (6) after 11 rounds of fixtures. Only three teams – Tottenham Hotspur (23), Man City (22), Brentford (22) – have scored more than Liverpool (21).
