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So far, 104 Premier League goals have been scored, substantially more than the 82 scored at this stage in the 2019/20 season and the 88 in the 2018/19, despite only 28 games being played instead of the usual 30. .
Despite all the dominance of the discussion on penalties and the new handball rules, there is another element at play here, namely the absence of fans from Premier League stadiums.
While last season’s finale had a similar vibe thanks to being played behind closed doors, the amount at stake ensured a level of intensity and indeed, as games resumed, they began as cautious matters.
There were some high scoring games, with Liverpool’s win over Chelsea an obvious example, but the teams at the bottom of the table at least tried to keep things tight at the back for fear of what it could happen if they didn’t. while the tightness around European locations ensured that those in the upper half had a sufficient incentive to do the same.
This time, however, many teams have yet to define their place in European races or survival. And then they have the added problem of a shorter preseason.
Typically, the two months between campaigns offer mental breathing space and friendly experimentation before the new season, with less at stake as clubs prepare for a new challenge.
Could it be that the truncated scenario has tricked the collective minds of Premier League teams to the point where their bodies operate in a less playful pattern?
Many also cite a lack of supporters in stadiums as a factor that would hinder Liverpool rather than help it.
That certainly seems to make sense based on last season, when the Reds boasted a 100% home record before the lockdown, but lost their only points at Anfield when Burnley visited an essentially empty stadium in July.
Even away from home, where Jürgen Klopp’s team had lost points before March, the results waned as intensity became something teams needed to generate on their own rather than through a partisan crowd.
This season, however, Liverpool’s intensity and quality, both at home and away, has been as good as anyone’s, if not better, leading those who questioned the possibility of a title defense to reconsider your position.
Even in games where their advantage was not secure throughout the game, they have generally appeared one step ahead of their opponents and are able to pick up speed when necessary.
It is another example of how this Liverpool is adapting to the difficulties that are presented to it, either from the opponents or the situation in general, while some of those who seemed better equipped to deal with this type of adversity have had a hard time doing it.
While the signs are positive from Liverpool’s point of view, we shouldn’t get too carried away after just three weeks of Premier League football.
Chances are high that fans will be allowed to return to the grounds before the turn of the year, or at least before the end of the season, at which point the teams that have better adapted to the unusual situation will need to readjust to something completely. different. .
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In such scenarios, there can often be a period of adjustment, while the contrast between the current ‘new normal’ and any return to pre-lockdown circumstances may be visible at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
With this in mind, the next few weeks could also offer an opportunity for better-adjusted clubs to increase their goal difference, and all of Liverpool’s league games in October are against teams that finished last season outside of the top eight.
The Klopp team has done what it had to do to demonstrate its quality and adaptability, but considering the uncertainty that lies ahead, now is the time to move on and solidify that advantage.
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