If a week is a long time in football, then it is an eternity in the Premier League. Just ask Liverpool and even Manchester City fans, for that matter, after the Reds entered the week of their game against Norwich City potentially having to come to terms with a nine-point gap being opened up by the league leaders. What’s more, after 48 minutes against the Canaries, it may have even increased to 12 as Milot Rashica gave Dean Smith’s men the lead shortly after halftime at Anfield.
But a few hours later everything would change once again as Harry Kane headed home a dramatic stoppage-time winner against City to lend Storm Eunice a hand in blowing open the title race. By this time, Jurgen Klopp’s charges had also turned around an early deficit by beating Norwich 3-1, which well and truly put the cat among the pigeons, as far as the title race went.
Although strangely, there is less expectation in terms of a title showdown in the latest online football betting markets for the outright winner of the Premier League as City are still at odds of 1/5 to win back-to-back league trophies. Those are curious odds when you consider that the football tips for today and beyond do back Liverpool to seize the advantage by winning their upcoming games.
We enjoyed that comeback. Keep pushing, lads! #YNWA @LFC pic.twitter.com/elydAHLyPg
— Thiago Alcantara (@Thiago6) February 19, 2022
Perhaps, however, one also does have to admit that City does have the ability to gain back any lost ground by stringing together another formidable winning run. It was of course just last year that Pep Guardiola’s men won 21 games in a row in all competitions to snuff out any chance of a competitive title race.
This does just feel different for some reason though and that could be down to the fact that Liverpool have their destiny in their own hands as they have a game in hand on the Cityzens.
Liverpool are only 6 points behind Man City with a game in hand 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/16WPxLLqsF
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 19, 2022
Additionally, Klopp’s men still have to play City with a trip to the Etihad Stadium scheduled for the ninth of April. As briefly touched on, this time around, one does get the sense that this title race will go into the late spring but what do Liverpool need to do to ensure that they stay within striking distance?
Essentially, forget all of the above permutations. Indeed, the only way Liverpool will give themselves a chance of overtaking City will be to focus on the next game at hand. Getting too far ahead by focusing on potential outcomes and point differences will lead to overthinking, a pastime that will kill any title race trying to be resurrected.
Klopp will know as much however and will be imploring his troops to put their minds to sacrificing everything to win any second balls, press the opposition to the point where it feels their lungs will burst whilst being clinical and of a clear mind when chances present themselves.
The title race is now in Liverpool’s hands 😱 pic.twitter.com/hpwMRL8hlV
— GOAL (@goal) February 19, 2022
In essence, carry on doing everything that has got the Reds into a title race in the first place. If this Liverpool team are able to shut out the noise and apply themselves to winning the battles during the here and now, then by the time they get to late spring, they may be standing on the summit of the Premier League.
