Liverpool's life without Jurgen Klopp is still stable at the moment, even better than expected because since the beginning of the season, they have won 7/8 matches in all competitions. Liverpool did not have many destructive wins but took very steady steps.
Last season, Man City took the lead after the first 6 rounds and finally won the championship. In the 2019-2020 season, when Liverpool were crowned, they also led the table after the first 6 rounds and finished with 5 points more than Man City. Therefore, this could be a good sign for the 20th national championship title in the team's history.
However, if we look at history more broadly, only 4/10 teams in the last 10 seasons have won the championship after reaching the top of the table in the 6th round. That is Man City and Liverpool in the two seasons as mentioned above, plus Chelsea (2014-2015) and Man City (2017-2018).
Arne Slot and his students are of course not Naive enough to believe in past numbers to reduce motivation after a strong start to the season. The most basic thing is still the squad, playing style and performance of each star. Regarding these, how much can Liverpool maintain?
This season, Virgil van Dijk is having a lighter burden as his partner Ibrahima Konate has matured. Up front, Ryan Gravenberch has transformed and become a main player, not just a reserve like last season under Jurgen Klopp. Along with Alexis Mac-Allister, Liverpool have a very high-quality central midfield pair with many qualities.
Up front, in a season that was thought to be in decline due to age, Mohamed Salah is doing very well. Along with that, Luis Diaz's remarkable progress has made him a powerful main striker of the club.
Every year, Liverpool are constantly struggling with injury, and this is something Slot needs to worry about right now. That dark period usually comes in November and December and leaves the consequences until January and February of the following year. Continuous matches in the Champions League and domestic cups may make legs unable to stand firm.
As for Arne Slot, modesty is the first thing felt after Liverpool led the table after round 6. The Kop have not faced any opponent in the Top 8 last season, so Slot understands that the test doses from the beginning of the season are not strong enough to accurately assess Liverpool's strength.
"When you have gone through 19 matches (first half of the season), you will know your true strength. In the near future, we have matches with Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa to verify" - Slot shared.
Sharing the same view with the head coach, Virgil van Dijk said that December is extremely important because it will shape the rest of the season for each team, not just Liverpool. The Kop captain said that teams that get through this period well and without injuries will have a good chance to lift the trophy at the end of the season.
Last season, Liverpool also had many injuries to key players but none were as serious as ACL injuries as Van Dijk before. However, the problem for the team is that these stars have struggled to regain their form. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Diogo Jota have all struggled since their return until the end of the season.
To avoid that situation, the prerequisite is to always ensure physical fitness and fitness. In addition to coaching expertise, Arne Slot hopes that the club's medical team can operate at maximum capacity to help keep the players safer.
The journey ahead is still very long and Liverpool have not encountered any major obstacles. This is the time for Arne Slot and his team to save their strength and prepare to unleash in the next few months. If Liverpool still keep the top spot after Christmas, their fans will have the right to dream of winning the championship at the end of the season.
