It’s fair to say that last week’s encounter with Sunderland didn’t quite go the way that we – and many others for that matter – expected. Okay, so Liverpool enjoyed a comfortable enough 2-0 win, but we expected them to create a hatful of chances against the beleaguered Black Cats and perhaps score three or more.
Hands up: we got the Southampton vs Liverpool fixture completely wrong. Given the Reds’ form up until that point, we expected goals to flow; particularly with the Saints themselves more than capable in the final third of the pitch.
With the international break it is easy to lose track of how domestic football is shaping up, but for Liverpool fans the 6-1 demolition of Watford will surely live on long in the memory.
We bagged a nice 23/10 winner last week courtesy of the Reds victory and both teams scoring against Crystal Palace, and that is actually a nice microcosm to sum up their season so far: they have no problem putting the ball in the net, but keeping their opponents from doing likewise is proving an issue.
Jurgen Klopp’s fun bus rolls into London this week for the trip to Crystal Palace, and it is no wonder the German is smiling so much at the moment. This Liverpool side he has created has faults, sure, but their ability to put the ball in the net almost at will Is staggering.
The frustration around Anfield was palpable. The clash with old rivals Manchester United descended into a classically ‘Mourinho affair’, as we suspected it might in this column, and while we had the bonus of banking a 21/20 winner on Under 2.5 Goals that was scant consolation after watching the Reds struggle to break down a rigid Manchester United rearguard – or ‘bus’, as it is sometimes known.
Other than the Luis Suarez years, this could be the best opportunity that Liverpool have had to finish above Manchester United in the Premier League reckoning. Under Jurgen Klopp they have really come fo age so far this term, and some of their performances have been nothing short of sublime.
It didn’t a genius to work out that Liverpool would give Hull City a good seeing to at Anfield last week, and while we certainly don’t claim to be Dr Hawkings-esque in our predictions we were right to back a comfortable Reds victory.
If we treat the Burnley debacle as a one-off freak occurrence, Liverpool’s form this season has been outstanding. Victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester – three sides who you would imagine will occupy the top half of the table at least – is very encouraging.