Could Liverpool win the Premier League? Five reasons why they can

Posted Sunday, January 01, 2017 by Skysports.com

Could Liverpool win the Premier League? Five reasons why they can
Can Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool go all the way and win the Premier League title?

After seeing off Manchester City 1-0 at Anfield on New Year's Eve, Liverpool moved clear of their rivals to confirm themselves as Chelsea's biggest threat.

While still five points adrift of the Premier League leaders, there's a growing conviction that Jurgen Klopp's men are capable of going all the way.

Here, we pick out five reasons why Liverpool can become champions of England for the first time since 1990…

Goalscoring threat

Gini Wijnaldum's towering header to open the scoring against City was only the Dutchman's second goal in a Liverpool shirt. Perhaps that made him a surprise scorer for the Reds but a feature of Klopp's team is that goals can come from anywhere.

Wijnaldum is one of 12 different goalscorers for Liverpool in this season's Premier League and half a dozen of them have found the net at least four times - more than any other club. With multiple threats, Liverpool have become a very difficult team to stop.

A true team effort

The fact that the goals have been spread around hints at another truth about this Liverpool side - they are not reliant on any one man. Philippe Coutinho was perceived as the one who provided the spark but the results have continued to come without him.

Of course, there are important figures. Jordan Henderson is the leader and Adam Lallana has been superb. But there is no sense in which their momentum is likely to be derailed due to the absence of any one individual.

With others reliant on their chief goalscorers, that's not necessarily true of Liverpool's rivals. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte even admitted recently that there was no plan B in place should they lose David Luiz at the heart of their back-three. This is a huge positive for Klopp.

Energy and appetite

One of the reasons why individuals are of secondary significance is that Liverpool have developed a distinctive style that is maintained regardless of the tweaks to the team sheet. The players have embraced Klopp's pressing game and it is reaping rewards.

Liverpool's intensity

Pep Guardiola favours a high-tempo approach but Manchester City were outrun and outsprinted at Anfield as Liverpool once again embraced the hard-working ethos that Klopp demands. They have become a nightmare to play against.

Big-game record

Liverpool's rivals certainly do not seem to have the answers. Under Klopp, they have now picked up 22 points in 11 games against last season's top four and have also won twice at Stamford Bridge. The stronger sides do not like to play against the press.

Slip ups have come against weaker opponents - shock defeats at Burnley and Bournemouth being prime examples - but there is surely less chance of such lapses during the run in when maximum concentration can be expected. Being able to beat the best could prove key.

That lighter schedule

The much-discussed fixture list could favour Liverpool in that regard too. Arsenal are scheduled to visit Anfield just days before they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League, while Manchester City travel to Monaco in the week they host the Reds.

Of course, Chelsea are not troubled by European commitments either but with Liverpool's style of play likely to expend more energy, it's Klopp's men who could benefit more from the rest. Will they take advantage of all this when the title is decided in the spring?