Liverpool’s Premier League title fate is no longer in their own hands after taking just one point from their last two games, which has given Manchester City the chance to jump above them and lead the way going into the final six matches of the campaign.
The Reds are still only two points behind Pep Guardiola’s side and will go above them with a win at Fulham on Sunday, as the Etihad Stadium outfit are on FA Cup duty against Chelsea next weekend, so all is certainly not lost in the pursuit of domestic glory.
However, the margin for error has now disappeared, and journalist Neil Jones has raised the question as to whether Jurgen Klopp’s team would take advantage of any potential slip-ups by Man City or Arsenal.
Speaking to EOTK Insider, he said: “There are still six games to go. You look at the league table and think, ‘If Arsenal can [lose] at home by Aston Villa, Manchester City could lose at Tottenham!’ Arsenal also have to play Tottenham, for what it’s worth, so there is the potential for twists and turns.
“The one worry that I have now, and the one worry that’s fair to have around Liverpool, is even if the other two slip up, you wonder if Liverpool are going to be faultless. I think they’ll have to be if they’re going to win the league and I’m just not sure whether they’re in the position at this moment in time to win the last six.”
Despite the recent slump which has seen us go three games without a win for the first time all season, Liverpool are definitely not out of the Premier League title race just yet.
However, Jones is right in saying that the Reds simply can’t afford to drop any more points in the run-in, especially if either of both of Man City and Arsenal were to stumble.
If we win our six remaining matches and still fall short, similar to how we ended the 2018/19 campaign, it’ll leave a tinge of regret but at least it’d come with the recognition that we couldn’t have done any more during those half-dozen fixtures.
On the other hand, if our title rivals slip up but we fail to take advantage and end up missing out by a point in the final reckoning, that’d be far more difficult to bear, knowing that the opportunity was there to pounce and it went begging.
Liverpool will almost certainly need six wins out of six from hereon, and the Reds should only concern themselves with taking care of their own business. So long as Klopp’s team do their bit, there’s a chance that we might leapfrog City yet.
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