Does the media realize that Liverpool won the league last season?

With the 2020/21 Premier League season just days away, Jurgen Klopp will be full of confidence that his team is prepared and ready to begin their long-awaited defense of the title.

At any given moment, your team scoring seven goals is undoubtedly a good proposition for the new campaign, even during the preseason and also when you face an opponent two leagues below you.

Liverpool’s 7-2 win over Blackpool on Saturday was a fitting end to the club’s preseason program, though a coach as obsessed with winning as Klopp will likely focus more on how the Reds conceded two sloppy goals as a signal. There are still improvements to be made.

Manchester City and Manchester United will be looking to bridge the gap between themselves and the Reds last season and there have been a number of screams from the media to indicate this will play out.

Gary Neville recently backed his beloved United to finish ahead of Liverpool as he predicted that City would usurp Klopp and his Reds for the league title with the reigning champions sliding into third place.

FourFourTwo also recently supported Pep Guardiola’s team to rise to the top despite dropping 18 points off pace last season.

So the real question that remains is why is the media downplaying Liverpool to defend their league crown.

Let’s talk facts

Indeed, if the past is any given hint, then of course a new champion is likely to develop next season given that City are the only team to successfully defend a league title since 2009.

Yet Liverpool has proven to be the norm when it comes to history in recent years after two consecutive seasons in which Klopp and his player amassed 196 points in two respective PL seasons.

City itself was able to operate on a similar upward trajectory prior to the overwhelming delivery of the league crown last season, although its own demise in the English top flight was more or less due to its own undoing.

Liverpool’s closest rivals lost their irreplaceable captain Vincent Kompany and made an evidently naive decision not to replace the man who effectively won the league in 2019 following the Belgian’s thunderbolt against Leicester City in the penultimate game of the season last year.

It’s also worth noting that City have once again lost their club captain for the second year in a row in the form of David Silva and it remains to be seen how damaging this could be to the club, given that he is arguably the best player. of the club today. was.

Leroy Sane also recently left the Etihad Stadium to return to his home country with reigning Champions League champions Bayern Munich.

The 24-year-old sprinter spent most of the 2019/20 season through injury, but there’s a chance that had he been available to Guardiola last season, the gap at the top could have been significantly narrowed.

This raises another important question; What has the city done in the meantime to make up for such losses?

So far, a week before the season officially begins, although City will start their respective season a week later after their European involvement, Guardiola has made just two major signings from AFC Bournemouth and Valencia in the form of Nathan Ake and Ferran. Towers.

Both players are likely to improve the club in key areas, however, are these the kind of signings that will be important in seriously reducing champion Liverpool’s 18-point difference?

As strong as ever

Meanwhile, while Liverpool have only made one addition in the form of Kostas Tsimikas, Klopp has not lost any of his key personnel from last season and even amid Georginio Wijnaldum’s lingering ties to Barcelona, The team that galloped into the league last in the season still remains intact.

Chelsea seem like a force to be reckoned with this season as most of the club’s transfers ended considerably before the start of the season. Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have had full preseason under their belt and this should not be overlooked.

Despite this, the Chelsea team still seems to have a surprisingly worrying imbalance between defense and attack. While Zyech, Werner and Kai Havertz will likely wreak havoc up front, Chelsea only added 35-year-old Thiago Silva to inspire some central defensive steel to a back-four that conceded 54 league goals last time out.

Regarding Neville’s claim that United will not only narrow a 33-point gap that previously existed with his old team and Liverpool, but that United will finish above the champions Klopp next season, we thought it would be appropriate consider some facts.

Yes, United are a much better force than last season and are certainly capable of bringing Liverpool closer together next season, but at the time of writing, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made just one addition to close the gap at the top.

United should also be commended after the acquisition of Donny van de Beek, which for £ 40m seems like a real bargain.

Yet even with such a potent potential trident in midfield from Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Van de Beek leading the way next season, his lack of depth in the squad still remains.

United seemed utterly exhausted when they meekly crashed in the Europa League against Sevilla and have done very little since then to ensure that it is not repeated next season.

With everything considered, it’s hard to see why Liverpool aren’t being hailed as a huge favorite to walk the league again next season.

Yes, we prefer and thrive in our typical underdog status, but the club name must be respected as we prepare for the most congested and physically demanding season to date.

Klopp has shown that his team will remain hungrier than ever after the preseason field trips. However, the focus of doubt directed by the media towards Liverpool’s title odds is a bit premature and we hope that the Reds will once again vindicate the club’s recent transformation that turned fans from skeptics to believers.