Liverpool lost 2-3 to Fulham in a Premier League match last weekend which has reduced their gap with Arsenal to 11 points, as the Gunners drew 1-1 with Everton in their last match.
The gap is still huge, with seven rounds of fixtures to go, and the Reds remain odds-on favorites to win their 20th league title.
However, as Arsenal have themselves demonstrated by surrendering the Premier League title a couple of seasons back, there might still be many a slip between the proverbial cup and the lip.
The good thing for them is that Arsenal are dropping points freely, and the gap is still too big to be bridged.
Liverpool Defence Unusually Porous Against Fulham
For a team that has let in only 30 goals in 31 league matches so far this season, it was much of a surprise that three of those came in the match against Fulham.
Virgil van Dijk has mostly been at the top of his game, and Ibrahima Konate has been an able ally for him.
However, as Fulham showed, the defensive fortress of the Reds can be breached by playing quality attacking football. Maybe, just maybe, the absence of a genuine No. 6, which Alexis Mac Allister is not, hurt them for once.
Mac Allister scored the opening goal for Liverpool on the day and gave their midfield the fluidity they yearned for.
However, it can be debated that Wataru Endo is a better defensive player, and probably Arne Slot’s men need such a player among them when they are defending a lead.
However, the defensive performance against Fulham can be dismissed as a one-off by the staunch supporters of the club, and they might have a point, too.
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Mohamed Salah Has Been Underwhelming of Late
The downward spiral in Salah’s form started on the day the Reds played away against Paris Saint-Germain.
Although the Reds sneaked home with a 1-0 win, Salah was virtually non-existent that day. Since then, he has failed to dazzle like he had prior to that.
The Egyptian still has 32 goals in 45 matches this season, which is a fantastic return. However, the law of averages has caught up with him during the past month or so.
With Cody Gakpo also being injured, Liverpool have often had two of their most prolific forwards not firing during the said period.
However, Liverpool have not had as many injuries as Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Slot’s men have matches against West Ham United, Leicester City, and Tottenham Hotspur left in the current month.
With no UEFA Champions League football to distract them, the Reds should set their eyes on winning at least two of those matches.
If Arsenal continue to play as they have been, winning the title should not be much of an issue for Liverpool.
However, as they must have learnt from the EFL Cup final defeat to Newcastle United and the reversal against PSG in the Champions League, they cannot afford to take things for granted.
They have been the best team in a slightly unimpressive season in the Premier League and should make it count by allowing Slot to win the league title in his debut season as a manager in England.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
Recording Date: 07.04.2025