Temperature Check: Liverpool Running Red Hot
Liverpool enter the international break top of the table with 6 wins out of 7 in the Premier League.
It was a bit hairy at the end, but Liverpool got the victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday, which means that the Reds will spend the next two weeks as the Premier League leaders. It is merely a symbolic victory as league position only truly matters at the end of the year, but given the historic moment that Liverpool find themselves in - moving on from a legendary manager - it is still a nice waypoint for this young season.
It is also one that most Reds fans would have felt relatively unlikely. Not just because of a monumental transition, but also because of the fact that Liverpool entered this season with what looked like pretty obvious holes to fill within the squad. As the transfer window closed - and with one notable failed attempt at addressing at least one of those perceived holes - Liverpool did not look like they were better placed.
While the figureheads at the club, including new coach Arne Slot, insisted that the issue wasn’t financial commitment but rather the high bar that is set for players that can be brought into the fold, fans likely felt a lot of that was lip service. Especially given that this squad, while obviously talented, still missed out on the major honors available to them last year.
Caveats abound, of course, and chief among them being the quality of the clubs faced to this point, but it’s hard to completely dismiss the fact that with this team and under Arne Slot, Liverpool have won 6 out of 7 in the League and 9 out of 10 overall. Winning in ways that feel meaningful for a club that is meant to challenge for trophies. As it stands, Liverpool are among the stingiest of teams, translating into only two goals allowed in the league and giving them a league leading goal differential of 11. It is, in short, the kind of spine and stability that one would come to expect from a championship-caliber team.
There’s still a long way to go and Liverpool’s real test lies ahead, with tilts against a resurgent Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brighton, and of course Arsenal. All with Champions League fixtures to boot. Liverpool will learn a lot about themselves and, perhaps, how they measure up among the rest of the league.
Still, I would also wager that we’ve learned a bit, too. Maybe not enough to crown them as title challengers in earnest (though, I personally am on the brink of feeling that’s real), but the idea that Liverpool are a dark horse in the title race is not at all preposterous given what they’ve done to date.
If we’re doing temperature checks, my state is that my hope is pretty sky-high. I don’t expect a title challenge, but the fact that I wouldn’t be surprised at this juncture if we were to find ourselves in one is a big part of that. You can only play the folks put before you. And, to date, Liverpool have been almost perfect in that regard.
Let’s see where the lads are at the next break. Bring on the test.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
Post a Comment