Despite being 6 points ahead, Liverpool cannot rest assured as there are still many rounds left in the Premier League. If the 'Red Devils' can win all 2 matches in the next 2 rounds, Arne Slot's team will be closer to the championship.
Liverpool currently lead the table with 46 points from 19 games, six ahead of Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, but they have a game in hand. That gap is not unbridgeable. The question remains whether those behind Liverpool are capable of doing so.
The Premier League has seen some spectacular comebacks in the past. In the 1997/98 season, Arsenal trailed Manchester United by 13 points at the end of December but still won the title. Similarly, in 1996, Manchester United overcame Newcastle despite being 12 points behind in January.
In 2019, Man City also defeated Liverpool to win the cup despite being 10 points behind at one point. This shows that Liverpool cannot afford to be complacent in the remaining journey.
Liverpool face a number of tough away games for the remainder of the season. Of their next 10 away games, seven will be against teams in the current top 10. In particular, opponents such as Brentford, Manchester City and Aston Villa all have impressive home records.
It is worth noting that in the last 6 matches in the Premier League, Liverpool have only won 3, drawn 3, and conceded 11 goals. There are concerns that Liverpool's defense is starting to show signs of instability, while the attack is lacking sharpness at some important moments. But Slot may have found a solution. The recent victory in the FA Cup shows that Liverpool is strong enough to overcome any difficulties.
Now they will prepare for the next 2 important weeks against Nottingham and Brentford. Nottingham is the "phenomenon" of the Premier League this season. They can completely make Liverpool fall like they did against MU or Man City. In the first leg of the 2024/25 Premier League, Nottingham defeated Liverpool and there is no guarantee that they will not repeat this achievement. In the opposite direction, assuming Liverpool wins, they will create a 9-point gap with their opponents. In the next round, Liverpool will face Brentford.
They present a completely different challenge for Liverpool. The Bees are formidable at home, having won nine of their last 13 games. The problem is that Brentford are in a terrible run of form. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by a no-name club and will face reigning champions Man City. It is likely that Brentford will be "crushed" before meeting Liverpool.
Like Nottingham, Arsenal are on 40 points and 6 points behind Liverpool. Both teams have played 1 more game than Liverpool. Compared to a "rebellious" Nottingham, Arsenal is a formidable opponent for Liverpool. They are under great pressure after being eliminated by MU in the FA Cup. That was the 3rd consecutive match that Arsenal did not win.
Now they will have to put aside the defeat to MU quickly to regain their spirit and fighting spirit. Simply because if Arsenal collapses now, they will not be able to come back. It must be emphasized that Arsenal have two "final" matches ahead of them with Tottenham and Aston Villa. They must win at all costs to put pressure on and compete for the championship with Liverpool. If Arsenal loses points or even loses to the two clubs above, everything will almost end. Therefore, this moment is very important.
Despite being far behind Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City still have a slim hope. Chelsea, with its young squad and squad depth, can bounce back if Liverpool are in crisis. It's just that Chelsea is currently lacking stability. Meanwhile, Man City, with their habit of playing explosively in the second half of the season, can get back on track if they create a long winning streak.
It's just that, as Enzo Maresca once admitted, Chelsea can't compete for the title this season because they haven't done it yet. Chelsea would rather focus on the top four, which means a return to the Champions League next season. Meanwhile, the "dawn" has just returned to the Etihad and people still need time to wait and see whether Man City can rise in the future or not.
VN (according to Bongdaplus)