[ad_1]
Liverpool are at the top of the tree at Christmas once again and based on evidence from what we saw yesterday at Selhurst Park, they will be hard to bring down.
The 7-0 win against Crystal Palace may be one of the best displays of completion we have seen in Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp took over as coach and that is saying something given their recent history.
The champions only made eight shots on goal at the Palace and scored seven of them, which is what this team is capable of when it is at its best.
There have been many games this season where they have turned down opportunities in front of goal and ended up winning or losing points.
We almost saw that scenario unfold against Tottenham on Wednesday night, as Liverpool had a chance of scoring three or four goals but fired their direct shots at Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Close
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp and Andrew Robertson celebrate after the match
Pool via REUTERS
In the end, Liverpool could easily have lost that match, as Spurs had two or three great chances to get what would have been a great victory.
Tottenham manager José Mourinho claimed his team was better than Liverpool on the night and while that was obviously nonsense given the balance of the game, they could easily have become the first team to win at Anfield in the Premier League. League since April 2017, since they created several. clear opportunities.
Well Liverpool made sure that the problems that nearly tripped them up against Spurs were really banished yesterday when they went wild for goals against Palace.
One player I want to choose to receive special praise this week is Roberto Firmino, who has been a star for Liverpool in recent weeks.
I was among those who suggested Firmino should stay out when Diogo Jota came from the Wolves and showed fantastic form.
I am a huge fan of Bobby and he has been vital to everything the Klopp team has achieved in recent years, but he lost his way for a long time and did not offer enough attacking threat in front of goal.
His pass wasn’t as good as it could be and Jota seemed like a better bet to start a month ago, but Firmino has changed everything in recent games.
He was outstanding against Tottenham and deserved to take the victory at the last minute, while his performance yesterday at the Palace was first-rate.
The end of his two goals was first class and led the way in a performance that was clinical once the initial problems of the first half were resolved.
Palace was a threat in the first 45 minutes as they used tactics that most teams now deploy against Liverpool and looked to get behind them in open positions.
Then Liverpool started flexing their muscles in the second half and the quality of their shots was so impressive.
Jordan Henderson stood out once again, leading the team by example and also added a magnificent goal.
That was before Mo Salah came off the bench and showed his class with two goals, one of which may be a contender for goal of the month.
It was another reminder of how good this Liverpool team can be in the future and raises questions about what will happen next.
I have been suggesting for several weeks in my Sunday World columns that Liverpool should be bold in the transfer market in January and get a defender to fill the gap left by the injuries of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
The displays made by the team in recent weeks may inspire the club to believe that they can save £ 20 to 30 million on the transfer market next month and still win the title.
Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips have done a fantastic job occupying the heart of the defense and Klopp has been singing their praises as a result.
Williams was impressive as he kept Harry Kane quiet on Wednesday, but I would still worry that they might get caught up over the course of a long season.
Liverpool have some great young players on the bench right now, but Klopp wouldn’t want to play many of them on the same team too often at this formative stage in his development.
With that in mind, I’d still be tempted to buy a defender in January, as that quality investment could be the final piece of the puzzle pushing Liverpool toward the winning line in the title race.
I know people will say that Liverpool will again flee with the Premier League this season after the victory at Palace, but they have shown some signs of fragility this season and could make a comeback.
Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City are teams to respect and will of course push Liverpool, while Manchester United have also managed to put themselves in a decent position.
So Liverpool are heading into Christmas as the team to beat once again and while it would be easy to get carried away with the prospect of winning a 20th national league title in 2021, that thought will not yet cross Klopp’s mind.
[ad_2]