90min
·22 de noviembre de 2024
90min
·22 de noviembre de 2024
Liverpool's start to life under new manager Arne Slot has been nothing short of astounding.
Former boss Jurgen Klopp left Anfield earlier this year and there were major fears the Reds would limp rather than sprint into their new era under the arriving Dutchman.
However, one surprising defeat to Nottingham Forest aside, it's been relatively smooth sailing for Slot on Merseyside. Liverpool top both the Premier League and Champions League tables having won 15 of their 17 games in all competitions in 2024/25 so far and will hope for the chance to go further clear at the summit of England's top flight on Sunday when they visit Southampton.
Winning the Premier League title might not have seemed like a realistic ambition in Slot's first campaign, but that view is slowly changing among supporters, who have genuine reasons to be excited about where the club could finish come May.
Their current lead of five points over champions Manchester City is a significant one. Looking back through the annals of Premier League history, only five other teams have ever enjoyed such a healthy advantage over their rivals at this stage of the season and each of them went on to claim the silverware.
Liverpool were first heading into the November international break / PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
Liverpool have only ever won one Premier League championship - that coming back in 2019/20 - but are famously one of England's most successful clubs with 19 titles in total.
However, there is a slight Manchester City-shaped caveat. Pep Guardiola's out-of-form champions have won the last four titles in succession and have trailed the leaders by more than five points at one stage in each of those campaigns.
The Cityzens have lost their last four games in a row in all competitions and have had to deal with a raft of injuries in recent weeks, with midfield wizard Rodri the most noticeable absentee due to an anterior cruciate ligament blow.
Arsenal have been City's biggest challengers in recent seasons but their own fitness woes have derailed their title bid, currently sitting nine points behind Liverpool, and calculations elsewhere have suggested it truly is the Reds' title to lose.
The statisticians at Opta give Liverpool a 60.9% chance of coming first, with City lagging behind on 34.1% and Arsenal on a lowly 4.6%.
The numbers look good right now, but Slot and Liverpool will be solely focused on beating Southampton this weekend before a tricky run which involves fixtures against Real Madrid, Man City, Newcastle United and Merseyside rivals Everton.