Reason To Believe

Anthony McIntyre ⚽ With winter officially arriving today, Liverpool lead the English Premier League by nine points.

It is a huge lead which leaves enough fuel in the hump, if they have the determination to succeed, to get the Reds over the hump that winter brings.

Normally, teams with such a commanding lead once Xmas arrives go on to win the title. Liverpool were seven points clear at the festive season in 2018, but before they reached May the following year they blew it and threw it. The team entered the final month of this year facing into a hectic nine match schedule. So despite the gap they have opened up, they are not yet clear of the woods. A few faltering steps and they could easily find themselves reined back into a tight title race.

After today's convincing 2-0 victory over Man City and the midweek one by a similar margin against Real Madrid, many are predicting that this side will take the title. One pundit has taken to describing Slot's outfit as the best side in Europe. I doubt he would bet his fortune or house on that.

From the end of last season, after an inglorious collapse - even Erik ten Hag's nags thwarted them in two competitions before they fell apart against Atlanta in a third - I have expected nothing from Liverpool this season. Drogheda United seemed to have more fight when it mattered. In countless press reports Arne Slot was depicted as an also-ran, a coach brought in after others balked at taking the reins from Klopp, for fear that they might just crumble to dust in the absence of the Germanic Midas touch. Pre-season, Slot added nobody new to the squad other than the permanently injured Federico Chiesa, for whom every pass is a hospital pass. That left the Dutch coach fielding Klopp's old team which had run out of stamina last season. How anything could be won with that lot baffled me.

Yet here we are, hot favourites to take the Premiership.

And still I lack the confidence to remain anything other than one of the sceptics. Liverpool's ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory has been too pronounced for me. If any side can blow the opportunity, it is this one. Yet, evidence before prejudice. Slot has repaired the charitable Klopp defence, so eager to give an early goal away almost every game. There is a hunger about the players, leading one pundit to quip that they look like they are starving. I am amazed that they now sit at the top of the table, their closest chasers, even with all guns blazing, need to win three matches while Liverpool lose three, just to pull level.

The most I am willing to say is that it is mathematically possible for Liverpool to win the title. For the first time there is reason to believe.

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