The 2019/20 Premier League campaign ended Liverpool’s thirty-year wait. Jurgen Klopp had delivered what many had aspired but could not. To make it all worthwhile, the title made its way back to Anfield with an eighteen point advantage over second-place Manchester City.
A similar gap between the top two was evident in February of 2020. Liverpool were always going to lift the Premier League trophy, and it was a matter of when not if. Manchester United and Chelsea finished behind the Sky Blues, and the gulf only widened when compared with the champions. A whopping 33 points separated them.
However, if one were to look at the English top-flight points table right now, these stats seem from a fairy tale. Following their recent success, football betting apps were inundated with bets reflecting Liverpool as clear future winners of the Premier League Crown, just check them out on bettingworx for instance.
After 24 game days, Liverpool are in sixth place, thirteen points behind leaders Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s men have a game in hand and are cruising towards yet another Premier League title. And to make up the numbers, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Leicester City are in top-four.
It was injuries that handicapped Manchester City last year. For the majority of the season, the Citizens did not have a recognized centre-back pairing. Despite have a big squad, Pep Guardiola bemoaned his decreased numbers that impacted their competitiveness.
Jurgen Klopp made little of these claims, and so did Jose Mourinho, although his Spurs team were nowhere in the running. The Special One was made to eat his words after his recognized forwards were sidelined due to injury and he was forced to play Dele Alli to lead his lines. The German too had to eat his words.
Liverpool have been besotted with injuries on a grand scale, one that would even put City’s woes to shame. To put this into perspective, as many as 16 different centre back pairings have been tried. To add insult to injury, the ever-reliable Alisson Becker has started to have regular lapses in concentration. Consequently, the Reds are six in the Premier League table, two points behind David Moses’ West Ham United.
With the Anfield giants struggling, City have been allowed free reign to target their fifth Premier League title since the 2010/11 season. Pep Guardiola’s men have put their miseries behind and are romping towards yet another dominating season. And this has been aided by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United.
The Norwegian temporarily managed what Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho could not. Manchester United were top of the Premier League table. However, these bragging rights did not last for long. The Red Devils have stuttered in their league campaign, managing three draws and a loss from their last five outings.
This is not how titles are won or your rivals put under pressure. But this situation was always in the making. Their forward line is still maturing, and the false dawns have been courtesy of exceptional displays from Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba. Moreover, United do not have a defensive pairing or a reliable goalkeeper to call upon. Coupling this with their inability to bring their A-game in crunch matches has not helped their cause.
In all of this, Manchester City have quietly done what was always expected of them. They have regrouped, reinforced their ranks and gotten down to business. Guardiola’s men go out to humble their rivals, and this is what they continue to achieve day in day out. To top it all off, the players returning from injury have not wasted time to prove their credentials again.
However, even Pep Guardiola would agree that his side have had fortune on their side. City have been the best side in English top-flight competition, but no one has challenged their credentials. Most probably, the Citizens will have their toughest test in the UEFA Champions League. With a 10-point advantage over crosstown rivals Manchester United, the title is theirs to lose, a trait missing in their DNA.