Can Liverpool challenge City for the title this season following their strong start?

Overall, last season was a success for both Manchester City and Liverpool. In Pep Guardiola’s second season in charge, Manchester City stormed their way to the league title by beating every team in the league at least once and reaching a record 100 points! Liverpool on the other hand only managed to secure a top-four finish but did manage to make it to the final of the Champions League where they were denied their sixth Champions League trophy following a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the final.

Although both teams experienced different success in the league last season, the Premier League odds that are currently available suggest that Liverpool have a very good chance of winning the league over the current league champions.

Here are 5 reasons why Liverpool can win their first-ever Premier League title this season.

The Attacking Trio

After Manchester City, Liverpool were the second-highest scorers in the league, finding the back of the net 84 times. This record was primarily due to the attacking talents of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. Although Salah grabbed the headlines by scoring 44 goals in all competitions, all three players were integral to Liverpool’s success last season.

It seems like this season will be no different as all three players have picked up from where they left off, scoring seven of the nine goals that Liverpool have scored this season. Like last season, it is extremely likely that Liverpool will need to rely on these three players if they are to have any chance of winning the league.

New Goalkeeper

Throughout Klopp’s reign at Anfield, there has always been headlines regarding the goalkeeper situation. Simon Mignolet was the first-choice goalkeeper when the German arrived at the club and although he was a solid shot-stopped, the Belgian was prone to the occasional error. In an attempt to fix the goalkeeping issue, Loris Karius was brought from Klopp’s old club Mainz 05. Although Karius became the first-choice goalkeeper, the German would also go on to make a number of high-profile mistakes.

His biggest two errors would come in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. The first mistake came just after half time when his quick throw was blocked and deflected into the net by Karim Benzema. Karius was then at fault for the third goal when he mishandled the ball following Gareth Bale’s 40-yard strike.

Following this defeat, Liverpool signed highly-rated Brazilian goalkeeper Allison from Roma for a fee that could rise to £66 million. The transfer was the highest amount paid for a goalkeeper, but it already seems that it could be money well spent. Apart from his massive error in the 2-1 win over Leicester, Allison has looked very solid and will be a key part of the squad this season.

Virgil Van Djik

Like the goalkeeper situation, the defensive frailties of his team have constantly been questioned during his time at the club. Although his team were having no issues finding the back of the net, they were having some issues keeping the opponent out. At the start of the 2017-18 season, Liverpool were conceding goals on a regular basis with some high-profile defensive mistakes from experienced players. Their lowest point was a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham where Dejan Lovren was subbed off in the first half due to multiple defensive errors.

The £75 million arrival of defender Virgil van Dijk in January has provided some much need stability to the defence with the club now boasting one of the best defensive records in the country. Apart from his lengthy injury spell at the beginning of last season, van Dijk has managed to avoid injuries throughout his career and will need to continue to do so if Liverpool are to have any chance of winning the league.

Squad Depth

Jurgen Klopp’s high pressing system requires every player on the pitch to have fantastic levels of stamina so they’re able to press the opponent all over the pitch for 90 minutes. Although football players are now as fit as ever in the history of the sport, players still suffer from fatigue throughout the season if they are not rested properly, especially in the type of system that Klopp uses. Towards the end of last season, Liverpool often looked lethargic in games, not pressing as well as they used to and looking very sloppy in possession.

Although they still manage to secure a top-four finish and make it to the Champions League final, Klopp has invested heavily this summer in order to add some top-quality depth to his squad. The signings of Naby Kieta, Fabinho, and Xherdan Shaqiri will allow Klopp to properly rotate his team in the latter stages of the season

Jurgen Klopp

Unlike their previous managers in the past decade or so, Liverpool finally have a coach who has experience of winning league titles at the highest level. Klopp has failed to secure a single trophy since arriving at the club in 2015, but his previous spell at Borussia Dortmund proves he can put together a title-winning team if given time. The German coach is currently in his third full season as coach and has assembled one of the fiercest teams in the country, similar to the team he built during his time at Dortmund.

He managed to win two league titles during his time with Dortmund. Could he do the same with Liverpool?

Although Liverpool have had a very strong start to the season, there is still a long way to go until the champions are crowned. However, there is no doubt that Liverpool are in their strongest position in years and have a very good chance of lifting the prestigious trophy in May.