City and Liverpool
How Our Title Rivals Compare to Prior Seasons by Martin Calleja Urry
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n one of the most exciting, unpredictable seasons the Premier League has witnessed for decades, the top spot has been shared by Liverpool, Leicester, Everton, Tottenham and even Southampton. Meanwhile, United and City have also reached the peak in what constitutes the first real battle between the two for the Premier League since we last won the title in 2012/2013.
and Matip dropped out not long after, with Jota, Thiago, Milner and others joining on the sideline, Liverpool really did have their backs against the wall. Generally, Klopp seems to manage their sidelined players with relative ease, but the back room staff seemed swamped this season, and perhaps the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager’s highflying style is to blame.
With Covid-19 looming over the season like a rain cloud ready to explode, the campaign began with somewhat of a whimper, as many big teams failed to live up to expectations. Liverpool began the season decently enough, brushing aside most teams, but red flags were raised when they lost 7-2 to Aston Villa, a result which would have never happened in years past.
Klopp’s style does get results, but it’s not without its consequences. Football is an incredibly taxing activity on the lower body and muscle injuries are ver y common, particularly for the more explosive players that get the most miles in and sprint regularly. It’s not unusual for managers to lean towards one style of play, but his over reliance on this ideology is possibly what’s landed him in hot water this season. It’s easy to say with hindsight, but one cannot expect players to perform at the same intensity with games being within 3 days of each other and after having spent the last few years at full speed. His lack of adaptability and over reliance on
Slowly but surely, the chinks in their armour began to reveal themselves, and shortly after Everton’s Pickford ended Van Dijk’s season with a crunching tackle, things started going from bad to worse. As Gomez
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one approach has signified the first time in recent history that Klopp’s castle is beginning to crumble. Attempts to deploy the likes of Henderson and Fabinho in the centre-back positions proved to be an effective but tempor ar y bandage for Liverpool’s deep wounds. Struggling to keep their heads above water
