Liverpool have a seriously healthy lead in the Premier League title race right now.
Indeed, the Reds are nine points clear at the top of the table, and, more poignantly, they’re 11 points ahead of Manchester City.
Arne Slot has earned huge praise for the job he has done this season, and now, the title is Liverpool’s to lose.
Speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Ian Wright has been discussing this title race, and he says that there’s only one thing that can stop Liverpool winning the league from here.
Indeed, Wright believes that injuries to key players could is the only thing that could derail Liverpool’s title push.
ITV Sport pundit Ian Wright looks on during the UEFA Women's European Qualifier match between England and Sweden on April 05, 2024 in London, Engl...
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
The only thing that can stop Liverpool winning the league
Wright shared his verdict on the title race and Liverpool’s hopes.
The pundit says that the only thing that can stop Liverpool now is an injury crisis.
“It will only be injuries to key players now. Not even the goalie, they don’t even have their main goalkeeper, but with the way Kelleher is playing, you wouldn’t believe Alisson can make better saves.
“You have to think to yourself, that’s the only thing. Even if they do have a mishap like Forest, since then it’s been nothing, faultless. I believe they’ve kicked into a position now where you need to chase them, they need to lose three or four, I can’t see it.”
Liverpool’s current injury list
Wright says that an injury crisis could derail Liverpool’s season, and we’ve been here before.
Indeed, the Reds have been through this exact scenario in the past, back in the 2020/21 season.
Liverpool were top of the league after 14 games in 2020/21, but a clutch of injuries to Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk all at the same time led to the Reds’ form plummeting.
Liverpool after 14 games 2020/21 Games Wins Draws Losses Points
1. Liverpool 14 9 4 1 31
Liverpool finishing position 2020/21 Games Wins Draws Losses Points
3. Liverpool 38 20 9 9 69
Van Dijk’s injury that season was transformational, and fans were distraught when Van Dijk went down with an ACL problem.
Ultimately, Liverpool had to use Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams at centre-back on a weekly basis that season, and, simply put, those two weren’t good enough to carry a team to a league title.
Ironically, Liverpool do have a handful of key players out injured right now, so they are coping with something of a makeshift squad anyway, but if that list grows any further, the Reds could be in trouble.
Liverpool injury list Injury
Diogo Jota Chest injury
Alisson Becker Thigh injury
Ibrahima Konate Knee injury
Conor Bradley Thigh injury
Federico Chiesa Unknown
Kostas Tsimikas Unknown
Luckily, the January transfer window is just a month away, so one or two additions in the right areas should be able to bolster the squad in any case.
An injury crisis on the scale of 2020/21 is very unlikely, but, it could be season-defining, so the Reds may need to plan for that in the January transfer window.
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