GettyThe Reds are expected to eventually run out of steam, but they now have every chance of winning the title in Arne Slot's first season at Anfield
Liverpool beat Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League. Not even the players expected to be in such a promising position going into the November international break. "If you asked me before the season started, I would not have said that we were candidates [to win the title]," midfielder Alexis Mac Allister admitted, "but now it looks like [we are]."
According to Opta, they're not just contenders; they're now favourites, having won nine of their 11 games so far – and 15 of 17 in all competitions. Only on five previous occasions has a team held such a commanding lead at this stage of the season – and all five went on to win the league, including Jurgen Klopp's runaway 2019-20 champions.
Will history repeat itself – again? The common consensus is that Liverpool will eventually fall away, just as they did last season while chasing a quadruple all the way into the spring, and a dip in form is inevitable at some point. Seasons are longer and harder than ever before. The gruelling schedule and intense competitiveness of the Premier League means Arne Slot's side are unlikely to maintain their current ridiculously high win-rate.
However, we've seen enough during the first few months of the campaign to suggest that Liverpool are eminently capable of claiming a 20th top-flight title – and not just because they have the best player in the world right now in Mohamed Salah. Below, GOAL gives six less obvious, more underrated reasons why the Reds could romp to victory…
