Three Reasons Why Liverpool Are Now Premier League Champions-Elect

What a difference four days of soccer can make! Liverpool entered last weekend with their lead atop just 8 points after drawing with Aston Villa and Arsenal having a game in hand. Arsenal had the advantage last weekend of playing first at home against a West Ham team that had recently sacked their manager, and a win would have trimmed the margin to 5 points. Instead, Arsenal struggled to manufacture chances up front with a raft of injuries among their starting forwards. Just before halftime, the Hammers delivered the ultimate sucker punch, with Jared Bowen scoring on a counterattack.

The disastrous result from Arsenal inspired Liverpool against Manchester City to capitalize on the stuttering challenger. Liverpool delivered a virtuoso performance against the reigning Champions by winning 2-0 on the road. It was a psychological blow to Arsenal, and it never appeared they recovered in time for the 0-0 draw on Wednesday at Nottingham Forest, while Liverpool created a 13-point gap with a 2-0 victory at home against Newcastle. The consensus is that Arsenal will need a miracle to win the title, and Liverpool have the title in sight as champions-elect. In this article, we will discuss three reasons the Reds have one on their second Premier League trophy in six years.

1. Slot builds on Klopp’s legacy-Friday January 26, 2024, was a stunning day in the life of every Liverpool fan. Jurgen Klopp announced to the soccer world he was stepping aside as Manager of the Club. It was a stunning decision because Liverpool had a one-point lead in the Premier League and was still in position to win the quadruple with a young squad. There was immediate speculation about who would be Klopp’s successor and how difficult it would be to follow a man who resurrected the club and won 7 trophies. After Xavi Alonso ruled out a move to his former team, the board appointed Arne Slot, who had formerly enjoyed success with Feyenoord in the Dutch League.

Slot made an immediate impact by not implementing many changes. Slot retained the entire squad from the previous season and signed only Federica Chiesa as a backup Forward. Slot has played a back four system containing the same personnel, but his tactical tweak in midfield has allowed the team to flourish. Slot employs two defensive midfielders, which allows an attacking midfielder and three forward players to run riot. Klopp’s system was built for full-throttle heavy-metal soccer, while Slot’s system is built on control and finding the extra gear when needed to catch the opposition cold. Slot has not tried to mimic his predecessor’s effervescent personality with the fans and on the touchline. In 1974, a highly successful Liverpool Manager named Bill Shankly was replaced by Bob Paisley. It feels like 50 years later, Arne Slot is the answer to the departure of Jurgen Klopp.

2. Salah and Van Dijk are the best- the backbone of a title-winning squad is the presence of world-class talent. The charge towards the title this season was partly due to the brilliance of their two best players Virgil Van Dijk and Mohammed Salah. Liverpool went to another level when they acquired Van Dijk in December 2017. Van Dijk brought stability to the center half position, incredible athleticism, and leadership. The captain has led from the front in soldering the back line to the second-best defensive record and the most clean sheets in the league. On the other hand, Mohammed Salah is dominating the other end of the pitch in record-breaking fashion. The 32-year-old has registered 42 goal contributions with 25 goals and 17 assists in just 28 Premier League appearances. The record for a season is 47 by Alan Shearer, which means he needs just 6 in the next 10 games to own the mark. Salah could win the Balon d’Or given to the best player in the world based on Liverpool’s performance in the Champions League. Salah leads the Liverpool attack that has scored 66 goals this season, which is 13 more than Manchester City in second place. Yes, Salah and Van Dijk are proving they are the world’s best at their position.

3. Young players becoming stars- a successful squad needs a mix of young players to emerge to capture a title. Slot has improved the players at his disposal, which forms the basis of a deep squad. Ryan Gravenberch struggled to make an impact last season in Klopp’s system after moving from Bayern Munich. However, after a failed attempt to sign Martin Zubamendi from Real Sociedad to play the defensive midfield position. Gravenberch was installed into the position by Slot and has been the dominant and athletic player, which has led to greater control and balance in the team. Curtis Jones has proven to be an interchangeable player in the middle of the park, which drives the attack forward. Cody Gapko has eight goals and three assists in the league, which underlies the brilliance of this young player. Slot has saved his team millions of dollars by training young talent by taking their game to new heights for years to come.