After a contentious 2-1 victory over West Ham, Liverpool returned to the top of the table last weekend, but with five games left in the season, can they stay there?
In theory, they can definitely stay there. Their remaining fixtures see them welcome Manchester City and Chelsea, their two biggest title rivals, to Anfield, and if the Reds continue their awesome home form, which they should, then they will beat their biggest rivals and further stretch their slim lead at the top.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers knows that if they keep up their stellar home form then the title is returning to Merseyside for the first time in 24 years. It’s not just home form, the Reds have won nine of their last nine games and if they continue that form (which will be tough but not impossible), they will be insurmountable.
When you have three players, Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who have scored 62 goals between them, which is more than every team bar the title rivals, you expect Liverpool to go into every game and grab goals, as highlighted by their 90 scored thus far. True, their defence is not what it should be, but when your attack is as good as theirs it doesn’t matter that much if you do concede. The goal-scoring prowess of the Anfield club is enough to see the trophy adorn their mantelpiece once again.
City neighbours Everton may actually do their rivals the biggest favour. Manchester City, who have two games in hand on Liverpool, have to travel to Goodison Park on 3rd May, a place where they seem to struggle. Their last four visits have seen them fail to take a point. If Everton continue being City’s bogey team and again beat them, then City’s Premier League chances are effectively dead.
They have handled the pressure valiantly so far and do look like a title winning side. This is Liverpool’s year.