Ex-Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit doesn’t think that Liverpool have looked like title winners in recent weeks.
The Reds secured a last-gasp win over Brentford at the weekend, having drawn their previous two fixtures, and Petit says there are cracks in their armour that rivals can exploit:
“Liverpool and other teams are dealing with so many competitions. Arsenal, they have so many injured players and they’re going to be back soon, so they’ll be fresh. They will only concentrate on the Premier League and Champions League.
“In February, just like Liverpool, they will also qualify for the next one, the Champions League. They will make a turnover as well. There are so many reasons. Liverpool are not that well the last few weeks. They are conceding goals all the time. They’re not that confident.”
Liverpool have been more vulnerable defensively
Petit is right to point out that the Reds have not looked as solid at the back in recent months. Since the last international break in November, Arne Slot’s side have conceded 14 goals in 10 league fixtures.
If they want to stay top of the table, they will have to tighten things up at the back. The clean sheet against Brentford was definitely very welcome.
Injuries affect every team
Petit does mention the impact that injuries have had on rivals Arsenal but, it must be said, that Liverpool have also had to cope without Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Diogo Jota for lengthy spells this campaign.
It is about how you deal with such setbacks and Slot’s team have undoubtedly been able to handle the absence of key players better than the Gunners and others. While there are definitely many obstacles to overcome between now and May, fans will still be confident that the Reds can remain in first place.
Find out who is in Liverpool’s first-team squad for 2024/2025 season here