Bukayo Saka celebrating during West Ham vs Arsenal
Arsenal closed the gap to Liverpool on Saturday evening but it opened back up on Sunday
Alan Shearer believes it will be all but impossible for Liverpool's Premier League title rivals to reel them in because he doesn't believe the Reds have a weakness.
Arne Slot's side hold a nine-point lead after just 13 matches in the Dutch manager's first season in charge. Arsenal and Chelsea are on level pegging below them, with Brighton and Manchester City a further two points back.
Both of the London sides enjoyed comfortable wins over the weekend. Arsenal won 5-2 at West Ham, with all of the goals coming before half-time, while Chelsea were 3-0 victors over Aston Villa.
Liverpool responded with a win of their own, though, and had few worries against Manchester City despite missing the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Alisson. Reflecting on the season so far, Shearer suggested that depth of quality will make the league leaders tough to catch.
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"The Reds have been almost flawless so far, in the Premier League and Champions League, and they are looking like the real deal in every department," Shearer wrote in his BBC column. "Like a lot of people, I wondered how Slot could follow Jurgen Klopp when he arrived in the summer but he has been immensely impressive so far, and it’s already clear his side are going to be very difficult to stop.
He suggested the busy festive period will be a real test, but pointed to Liverpool's ability to cope without key players against City. The visitors were also missing some stars, most notably Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, but it was one-way traffic at Anfield.
"Liverpool were defensively solid and well organised too," Shearer added. "They had injuries to contend with at the back - Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley were both absent after getting injured against Real, but it did not seem to matter.
It is the same right through the team. They have been without Alisson, who is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, since the end of October but no-one ever mentions he is missing, because of the form of Caoimhin Kelleher. That depth of quality means Slot has options and the ability to rotate his players, particularly in midfield."
Can anyone catch Liverpool? Have your say in the comments section
Liverpool have won 11 of their 13 Premier League matches
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Image:
Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
While Arsenal and Chelsea have momentum in their favour, the opposite is true of City. The reigning Premier League champions have lost their last four, prompting manager Pep Guardiola to respond to 'sacked in the morning' chants when he spoke to the media.
“Maybe I deserve to be sacked, honestly," Guardiola said. "With the results, maybe I'm still in the job only because we won six Premier League titles. Otherwise, the hierarchy would think it doesn't work.
“They sang it at Brighton but I didn't expect it from the people from Liverpool. But it's fine, it's part of the game, and I understand. We've had incredible battles together. I have respect for them.
“I congratulate them. For the first 15-20 minutes, they were unstoppable. We’ll reset and start from zero and try to make a good run.”
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