Title Race 18/19

[RichC]

Ridiculous numbers. We are exceptional at the back. Gets taken for granted a bit, if we only win 1 or 2-0 while limiting the oppo to absolutely nothing it’s talked about as “winning when not playing well”. Well we’ll see who else stops Brighton having a shot on target at home this season. I’m guessing that’ll be no one.

Even City barely created anything v us over 2 games, the two goals were just brilliant finishes which go over and wide without fuss v the other 18 teams.

Funny thing is we’d scored 50 goals in the league last season after 22 games which coincidentally is the same as this season. Big difference is we’re so difficult to score against, the not playing well comments don’t really stack up, it’s not as free flowing as last season granted but we’ve become more patient and able to keep the opposition under pressure for the full 90 minutes now.

Basically machine like this season, it must be a nightmare to play against

[Nicey]

Reminds me of Rafa's best teams in many ways with a lot more control, its a brilliant system. We keep the ball and just lull the opposition into a pattern of play then switch it up and they can handle it. We also do not lose the ball in in our own half very often, split the CBs and pass it around left, right left right, ask a small question then back again and again, it must be mentally exhausting to keep that disciplined to deal with it

[Fredo]

It's also a very similar style to City's as well, just not as free scoring.

[Buzzo]

It's also a very similar style to City's as well, just not as free scoring.

But better defensively.

[labourRed]

We're entering a stage of the season were most clubs have something to fight for before the league settles into those in Europe and those in a relegation fight. Even a point for Brighton could be valuable come the end of the season. Clubs will be worried about getting sucked into a relegation battle and the likes of Wolves will be eying a good position.

Hopefully city will find teams fighting that bit harder in this phase of the league.

[Charly]

There was an article on Tompkins site. which looked at VVDs stats for the year.

What suprised me was he had the second lowest number of tackles for all centrebacks over a year. He is litterally that good at positioning that he is rarely in a position where he needs to challange. He also wins 90% of ariel challanges, and pretty much everything on the deck too. He also organises the defence, and has litterally changed our defense into virtually the tightest in history.

Plus he runs really fast and can bring the ball out. I think he is the single best signing in terms of a single player, and the effect they have had on the team that I can remember... more so than Suarez even, or Gerrard. Plugging that hole at the back has us on the Virg...

[marcus50bucks]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...an-city-still/

Liverpool flaws mean this title race is likely to go down to the wire

The first potentially significant wobble has been corrected, and the season has already reached a point at which results take a very clear precedence over performances, but there was still plenty here to encourage Manchester City.

Yes, the champions are again staring up at an seven-point deficit to Liverpool ahead of their match on Monday night against Wolverhampton Wanderers and, yes, it can be convincingly argued that this was just the sort of forgettable but very timely 1-0 win on which league championships are historically won.

But the jarring impact of City’s 2-1 win 10 days’ ago was still very evident and the swagger that Liverpool displayed in scoring 14 goals in four December matches against Manchester United, Arsenal, Wolves and Newcastle has been checked.

So flamboyant and so confident in winning eight straight games before their defeat at the Etihad Stadium, this was Liverpool back to their early-season form. Solid. Efficient. Job done.

They were ultimately good where it most mattered at either end of the pitch, but lacking the authority and rhythm you might reasonably expect of future champions.

Virgil van Dijk was a typically towering defensive presence and, in both winning the penalty and so emphatically converting the chance, Mohamed Salah continued his outstanding form.

He ultimately made the difference in what Brighton manager Chris Hughton rightly analysed as a 90 minute match that hinged on a few select moments.

Elsewhere, and even allowing for some tension after also losing against Wolves in the FA Cup on Monday, this was a distinctly workmanlike Liverpool.

Possession was dominated but clear chances were rare and a nagging question persists even about this hugely impressive title challenge. It is whether Liverpool have sufficient midfield presence and fluency to maintain their advantage on City.

They were well beaten in that area of the pitch by Pep Guardiola's earlier this month and, while Xherdan Shaqiri, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson are very good Premier League players, would they get in any City midfield containing Fernandinho, David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne or Bernardo Silva?

It is a depth in quality which allows City to effortlessly dominate matches even while well below their best. Liverpool do not have that same luxury and there was an argument here that they were fortunate that Brighton did so prioritise their own defensive structure.

Liverpool were hesitant early in the game and, while they certainly did begin the second-half with more urgency, Brighton might just have been rewarded for taking greater risks.

That they ended the match without so much as a shot on goal was a consequence of their caution just as much as Liverpool’s ongoing defensive excellence.

The wider question now that the transfer window is open is whether Liverpool might seek to improve their midfield. It appears unlikely, even if Liverpool’s meticulously executed transfer planning over recent years has still contained the occasional surprise.

An added recent factor has been the need to start Fabinho in defence even if the biggest weakness was not so much the midfield shield offered by Henderson and Wijnaldum but the absence of any consistently coherent link to their attack.

Shaqiri was disappointingly quiet, and came off after Salah's goal in preference for James Milner, while Naby Keita was brought on after 90 minutes when the sole priority was to see the game out.

It was entirely sensible in the specific circumstances - and upcoming fixtures against Crystal Palace, Leicester City, West Ham United and Bournemouth represent a better opportunity to restore attacking confidence - but how Klopp would surely love the option just now of a fully fit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Got to be a manc who wrote that article.

[Leyton388]

Flaws????? Maybe 12 months ago

[Fredo]

Got to be a manc who wrote that article.

Yep.

As if we were "well beaten" when City beat us. It was as close a game as I can remember when City had their backs to the wall for the last 10 minutes.

[Slinky Skills]

Another massive result our way today, hate United winning but we needed that result.

[Chris]

Spurs were no threat to us regardless, though always handy to have a team that bit further away I suppose.

[dom9]

I'm pretty confident in saying it's now a two horse race.

We're on the final bend and the pack is no longer a pack.

[Phoenix07]

10 points ahead of Chelsea in 4th, 9 points ahead of Spurs in 3rd, and 7 points ahead of Manchester City in 2nd (they have game in hand tomorrow night).

Expecting Wolves to be dry shafted tomorrow night.

[vlahka]

If we win our next 6 games then I'll definitely be more optimistic in winning the title. You know there are plenty of teams who will roll over for City if it looks like we're going to win it. Its amazing how many hate Liverpool.

[rodo]

our next 6 includes west ham and utd away which are both trickier than they were a few weeks ago