Liverpool is having one of the best seasons in the club’s history in recent memory, and lights are looking bright at the moment. Arne Slot’s affairs are all in order, so much that fans are starting to dream of a possibility of a treble. Not so long ago, even quadruple was on the table but an FA Cup loss to Plymouth Argyle put a dent into those aspirations.
Yet, the FA Cup debacle could prove to be a present in disguise. The first round exit is seen as an embarrassment by many, neglecting the magic of the Cup itself that was at work on the day the Reds lost to Plymouth. Because of that loss, the club now has less matches on their schedule and can approach the rest of the fixtures with more time to prepare. While the focus will be on the domestic league the most, at this stage of the season, we’re sure the Reds will not neglect the League Cup, and even less the Champions League. At the moment online casino and sports betting outlets such as Stake have them as favorites to win PL and EFL Cup, while their odds for a CL win fluctuate, yet they remain one of the top three favorites to win next to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Is the Premier League Already in The Bag?
No one should rush things, so we won’t, but it is fair to be optimistic at this stage of the season. At the moment, Liverpool is sitting comfortably at the top of the league table. The Reds have 64 points from 27 games and are eleven points ahead of the first follower, Arsenal, who has a game in hand. Liverpool boasts the league’s best attack, and their defence is not too far behind the league’s best.
The most interesting part of this Liverpool side is that they are hard to beat. Arne Slot’s men have lost only one match this season, and that was in the hands of overachievers, Nottingham Forest. One could argue that when Liverpool is not firing on all cylinders, they ought to draw a match as they have seven times this season, but their nineteen wins speak a different story. Liverpool is firmly ahead, and despite what you can read in Sergio Agüero Premier League interview, the league title is well within their grasp.
The former Manchester City striker, and club legend, Aguero reflected on the Premier League title race and claimed that neither Manchester City nor Arsenal should be written off at this stage of the year, yet we beg to differ. Liverpool is having one hand on the trophy, and with the way they’ve been playing throughout the year, it is hard to imagine them losing the grip they have at the PL trophy.
Champions League – The Hard Road
Since the first round of the new format of the Champions League it was evident that Liverpool wants to make history in the ‘new’ competition. Seven wins from their first seven matches show this. The only loss in this season of CL football the Reds suffered in the last round with nothing to play for. The new format of the CL made it so that Liverpool would have to rely on the luck of the draw rather than their first spot.
Unfortunately, when it came to the draw of the 1/8 of the CL, Lady Luck wasn’t there for the Reds. The Liverpool side drew PSG, as one of the hardest possible opponents. The French side has lost its best player in Kylian Mbappe, but now, they’ve found chemistry, teamwork, and resilience they lacked in years past. The Reds will not have it easy.
At the end of the day, you need to beat the best if you want to win the Champions League. With the second leg being played at Anfield, Liverpool is favourite to win this one too. When you look at the teams they’ve already beaten you get the idea that no one is safe. The Reds won against Lille, Real Madrid, Bologna, and Bayer Leverkusen at home and AC Milan, RB Leipzig, and Girona away.
Barring some misfortune, Liverpool has an open road ahead of them, with plenty of experienced players on the team who have already won the CL, and many hungry dogs eying the trophy for the first time. With the knockout stage in less than ten days, it is important to take this competition one game at a time.
EFL Cup – Liverpool vs. Newcastle
The final of the EFL Cup lies ahead of Liverpool, and it’s scheduled for 16th of March at Wembley. The opponent could have been easier, but it could have been worse. With Newcastle on schedule, the Reds remain favorites to lift the Cup trophy this season. Liverpool is the more experienced side, and after the FA Cup early exit, they will be looking to recoup the loss in this competition.
Their downside is the fact that they’re playing Newcastle. The Magpies are chasing the CL spot in the league this year, and have an FA Cup duel before the final but they will without a doubt rest some of their starters in games preceding the EFL Cup. The best part is that these teams are playing on 26th of February, with Liverpool hosting the game, so a few things will be clear on how well could these teams perform at the top stage.
While both teams will be motivated entering the cup final, we can say that Newcastle will probably have more hunger and passion. The reason? It’s simple – the Magpies haven’t won a domestic trophy since 1955. While this will be fuel to their fire, it also means they lack experience in big games such as this one.
At the same time, Liverpool will feel at home in this final, having won the competition ten times in their history, with the last trophy being won last year. They know how to get the job done, and if you’re a fan of online sports betting, rest easy that a wager on the Reds in this final is the safest bet you can make.
Salah – The Egyptian Wonder
While not the pyramids themselves, as far as the city of Liverpool goes, Mo Salah’s presence is even bigger. Salah is a brilliant football player; that’s nothing new. You could say so some 10 years ago and you’d still be right. But, what the Pharaoh is doing this season is far beyond a brilliant player. He’s been out of this world. Every game, every minute, and every second spent on the field has been poetry in motion written by Mo.
The stats do not speak the entire story, but we’ll list them anyway. As far as the Premier League goes, no one comes close. It’s not fair to speak ill of other players, but this year, NO ONE comes close to Salah. He is a Ballon d’Or favourite, and if he doesn’t receive it when time comes, it will be a travesty. The season is not even close to being over, with more than 10 fixtures to go, and Salah already has 25 goals and 16 assists to his name in 27 matches. Even if the championship ended today, this would still be one of the best PL seasons of all time. At this moment it is almost evident that Salah will repeat the famous Thierry Henry 20/20 season that the Arsenal forward finished with 24 goals and 20 assists to his name. The goals are already here, and all that’s left for Salah to make history is a couple of assists.
While Salah wasn’t a world beater in the Champions League this season, he’s still one of the better performers overall. In 7 matches, the Pharaoh has 3 goals and 4 assists. As we said, these stats do not appear to be fantastic especially when compared to some other names in competition, yet it proves another point. Liverpool is more than capable of playing team football, distributing the ball, and winning matches. This is what makes them favorites to win the CL in the first place.
Salah is having the year of his life, and it would only be fair to cap it off with a few trophies and a Ballon d’Or to his name. While the latter is on the way (in our humble opinion), the PL also in the bag, the CL trophy would round it up pretty well and we hope that the faith has this in store for Mo. Yet, not everything can be great.
The only dark spot on Salah’s year so far is the lack of his signature on Liverpool’s contract. So far, the two sides haven’t reached an agreement. It remains unclear whether the issue is the salary that Salah demands, or the number of years the Reds are putting on the table. While a continuation should be on the table as the most logical solution for both sides especially after the year Mo’s having, in a case that it fails to realize, Liverpool should be on the lookout for replacements. In our opinion, here’s a few names that could do the job (or at least close to it).
Can Salah be Replaced?
The 2024/25 Mohammad Salah can’t. Those are the facts. He’s just been too good. But, if it comes to worst, he will leave, and the replacement will be imminent. In any case, he would retire in a few years time, and we would have this same conversation. So, if it becomes a need, here are the players that could fill Mo Salah’s shoes:
Leroy Sane
The German international is a player with vast experience. Sane had already had a stint with the Premier League while playing for Manchester City. Because of this, he wouldn’t have a need to acclimate to the English game. Sane’s stint with City was marred with injuries and that’s one of the reasons why he was sold in addition to not fitting to Pep Guardiola’s tactics. He’s playing rather good for Bayern, is injury free, and the only reason we’re having him on this list is the fact that his contract with Bayern is expiring at the end of the season just like Salah’s. A left footed right winger with an eye for both goal and assist could be an ideal replacement.
Johan Bakayoko
During the last summer, Johan Bakayoko was one of the most sought after players in Holland. It was a wonder that PSV managed to hold onto him for another year. In the summer of 2025 he will be leaving, as his quality is far over what Eredivisie requires. With only 22 years of age, Johan would be a Salah replacement and an investment for the future at the same time. At the moment he’s priced at £42 million making him fit right into the range that Liverpool can afford. While he’s having a down year compared to what he delivered last season, the talent is there, and Liverpool should cash in on it if Mo decides to leave.
Jarrod Bowen
During the era of Jurgen Klopp, Bowen was often on Liverpool’s radar. The transfer never materialized, and it could be a tough task this time around too considering that Jarrod is tied to West Ham till 2030. Bowen is having a good year at West Ham, as we’re all used to. While not a prototype of Salah, Jarrod could do a good job for a couple of years, while one of the younger Liverpool players learns behind him.
As we said, replacing Salah is going to be a tough task whenever the need to do so arises. Some of the other names in the mix include the likes of Rodrygo from Real Madrid, Raphinha from Barcelona, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, and Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
Whatever happens in the future, we’re sure everyone in Liverpool is solely focused on three things – Winning the league, winning the EFL Cup, and reaching as far as possible in the CL. Renewing Salah’s contract is up there on the list of priorities, but for now that can wait till the season ends.
