Liverpool extended their lead at the peak of the Premier League table to 22 points this weekend with a 4-0 victory over Southampton.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment given the dominant teams that the Premier League has seen throughout the years. The Invincibles, The Centurions and José Mourinho’s first Chelsea team all have a claim to the best team title.
However if Liverpool win the title this year going at their present pace, the debate is finished.
From the 25 matches played up to now, the Reds are averaging 2.92 points per game. Over the course of a whole 38-game campaign, that equates to 111 points.
Against the odds, Jürgen Klopp, with the assistance of the Anfield recruitment group, has created a team to not only compete with Pep Guardiola’s winning machine, however, possibly, surpass them.
In other countries, this could be celebrated. Yet the storyline being pushed lately is that the Premier League is now at its weakest; that Liverpool are lucky Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United are in transitional periods. They are also blessed Manchester City failed to substitute Vincent Kompany.
Basically, Klopp’s team is not that great, they have only had the perfect storm of a year. But the reality is, this year is as aggressive as ever.
Since the inception of the Premier League, the group sitting in 2nd place after 24 games have had, typically, 50 points. The group in third has averaged 48 points, Leicester City had 48 points. The group has averaged 43 points, before this week’s round of games Chelsea had 40.
The group suspended into the bottom of the table will have 17 points, exactly the identical amount Norwich City had. While points totals are not indicative of quality, they show this year is largely in keeping with what is gone before the sole exception being Liverpool.
City’s Centurions maintained the title having gathered 2.62 points per game. Those figures emphasize the size of what Liverpool do.
Those figures dismiss the claims, the league is worse than usual. Then think about the fact both major European finals last season were contested by four English teams, a feat never previously handled, and you need to wonder why all of a sudden individuals are acting like the Premier League is now on par with Ligue 1.
Moreover, all four English sides in the Champions League are to the knockout stages. It’s the same story from the Europa League, also. So, despite their national struggles, these teams are getting the better of European resistance.
In prior years, only the top teams could spend big on players but the TV money being pumped in the Premier League means every club can flex their financial muscle.
In other words, the quality on display is better and the competition is fiercer. For Instance, encouraged Sheffield United signed a Champions League participant in Sander Berge during the January transfer window. During their last spell in the top-flight, that just would not have been possible.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ squad is full of international stars. West Ham United, who find themselves in a relegation battle, spent #70million on two attacking players throughout the summer transfer window. Transfer fees alone are not a means to judge talent, but using such cash opens doors these clubs could not unlock a decade ago.
Money brings players and the Premier League has more than most.
That goes to a way of explaining the top managers in the world call the English top-flight house, too. As its summit, the Premier League had Sir Alex Ferguson, Arséne Wenger, Rafael Benítez and Mourinho. No other league can boast such a selection of coaches.
English teams do better in Europe, the choice of supervisors from the Premier League rival the summit era and nightclubs have more money than ever to spend on players. If anything, the league hasn’t been in such a healthy posture.
Nevertheless, Liverpool are the runaway leaders. They ought to be lauded for it.
