Why now is the time for consistency…
For consecutive seasons, Liverpool’s inconsistent form has been unfathomable to the club’s fans, especially the depth of immense talent their players possess.
Since the loss of Luis Suarez prior to their 2014-15 campaign, the Reds embarrassingly struggled against a number of mid-table to relegation contenders throughout the season, while managing to put in strong showings against top sides like Chelsea and Manchester City.
The current season produced signs of the same with frustrating results while Liverpool has been unable to develop a run of better than 2 wins in a row.
In order to gain confidence within the squad to begin a late season flurry of positive results, Liverpool need to beat their next opponents, Manchester City, who have recently slipped further out of the title race and are looking to bounce back after falling to Tottenham at home.
Here are three talking points ahead of the match at Anfield on the 2nd of March, notwithstanding today’s Cup Final!
1. Finishing is the key- Liverpool have orchestrated a number of brilliant set plays throughout the season, however a large portion of these chances haven’t been taken and therefore have been costly upon the end result. Liverpool’s January home loss against Manchester United which ended 0-1 was an excruciating match by all standards for Reds fans in a game solely dominated by Liverpool who somehow couldn’t find a way past David De Gea. In a huge game against a team like Manchester City, Liverpool need to be clinical in front of a goal or else will end up rueing another missed opportunity at three points.
2. Mignolet needs to step up and make a difference- There’s no doubt that Liverpool’s Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has deserved his share of critics this season after failing to reward his manager’s faith in him when he was given a five year contract extension earlier in the season. A staggering statistic was discovered two weeks ago which revealed how nine errors by Mignolet have led to a loss of 15 points which means Liverpool could be challenging for the title in second place had he not conceded a number of easy saves.
3. A win can kick-start a run of good results. Liverpool’s last Premier League result – a 6-0 thrashing of bottom-placed Aston Villa proved that the Reds still have much to offer in the remaining 12 rounds of the season with Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge immediately restoring their damaging combination following Sturridge’s long-awaited return from injury. Liverpool’s previous match against Manchester City this season was a stunning 4-1 rout which has ultimately been their best performance of the campaign. Liverpool’s victory at Aston Villa was only their tenth of the season and the team vitally needs to prove that they are capable of the consistency that has taken Leicester so deep into the title race this season. Completing a double whammy over the Citizens this season would be a massive accomplishment too and can give evidence that Jurgen Klopp’s current team is indeed good enough for at least a Champions League spot.
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