Liverpool have had Premier League near-misses but this time feels different

Liverpool have had chances to win their first title since 1990 before – but they have never had a bigger or better opportunity than they will have this season.

The clock can be turned back to Steven Gerrard’s catastrophic slip as Liverpool lost at home to Chelsea in 2014, a defeat that opened the door for Manchester City to rip the crown from their grasp.

And there was the outstanding campaign under Rafael Benitez in 2008-09 when Liverpool lost only two league games out of 38 but still ended up in second place, four points behind champions Manchester United.

This season feels like the opening Liverpool have waited almost 29 years for – created by manager Jurgen Klopp’s potent blend of expensively assembled defensive solidity, in the shape of £75m defender Virgil van Dijk and £67m goalkeeper Alisson, and ferociously threatening attack.

Liverpool’s stars are aligned and even though Klopp and his players – Dejan Lovren’s recent mention of an unbeaten season apart – will never tempt fate, they will be acutely aware of the opportunity they now have.

Klopp’s side are nine points clear of Tottenham after the north Londoners’ shock home defeat by Wolves and 10 ahead of Manchester City, who visit Southampton on Sunday. They are unbeaten after 20 Premier League games and every key player in the team, and indeed the team as a whole, is hitting a peak.

Yes, they could almost touch the finishing line in 2014, but they were under pressure with City right on their shoulder. This feels like a Liverpool team in control of the Premier League and its own destiny.

Liverpool and Klopp will know the acid test is approaching when they visit Etihad Stadium on 3 January – but what riches they have in the bank with the knowledge that, at worst, they will start that game with a seven-point advantage over Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.

BBC