Author: Amy Smith
For years following the formation of the Premier League in 1992, Liverpool fans had held out hope that their team would one day be able to claim that trophy. Despite being one of the “Big Six”, and remaining among the top in the Premier League, Liverpool die-hards would have to wait until 2020 to see their dreams come true. To date, this is the only Premier League victory the Reds have managed, and what an astounding victory it was. Although some may say it is premature, I believe now is the perfect time to ask the question we are all thinking: can Liverpool do it again?
2019/20 Season
Right off the bat in the 2019/20 season, or as I’m going to refer to it, the victory season, viewers could tell Liverpool wasn’t coming to play. Or rather, they were coming to play - hard. Coming in from the previous season with a second-place finish, Liverpool immediately jumped the ranks to first, remaining there for the rest of the season. This resulted in many records broken by Liverpool, including the earliest win by games in the history of the Premier League. This shows how crucial having an amazing start to the season was in their eventual victory. Halfway into the victory season, Liverpool had pulled all wins except for a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Starting with 55 points halfway through the season meant that no matter the outcome later, the Reds were almost guaranteed at least an opportunity in the UEFA Champions League. With a win never realized before or after for Liverpool, fans wonder if a powerful start is required for Liverpool to take home the title. Will this season’s start be enough is the overarching question fans have.
2024/25 Season
This season has shown many of the same characteristics as the victory season did in the first half of their games. At the end of last season, Liverpool finished 3rd, tantalizingly close to the top. Despite one early loss to Nottingham Forest, they have stayed at a number 1 ranking almost every week since week 6. Besides the single loss, their record is very similar to 2019, with 2 extra draws this season versus Fulham and Newcastle, 3-3 and 2-2 respectively. So, despite this slightly rockier start, Liverpool has a significant points lead over Arsenal, the current second-place team. In the victory season, Liverpool's only real rivals were Man City, who they did lose a game to, quite badly actually with a score of 4-0 at Manchester’s home, Etihad Stadium. They still managed to pull through and claim victory then, and this season Man City has rapidly become nothing of a concern, as they have been losing much more than they have been winning since their change in managers. The team I would watch in the second half of this season would be Nottingham Forest. They are the only loss Liverpool has received so far this season, although it was close at 1-0. While they may be in third now, there is only a slight point difference between Arsenal in second and Nottingham. Additionally, they have some momentum, with a streak of wins right before the second half of the season. That being said, with the point difference between Liverpool and Nottingham, if Liverpool keeps dominating, it seems unlikely that Nottingham will catch up. So, in comparison with the victory season, Liverpool has set themselves up with almost as good a start, and even less competition.
The Major Contributors
Jürgen Klopp has been Liverpool’s manager since 2015. From a rankings perspective, this change in management was a good move. Liverpool has finished higher on average in the Premier League rankings since he was appointed and were led to victory in 2020. Jürgen Klopp is still the team's manager, and it appears he might secure them victory once again. He’s familiar with this season's powerful start and knows how to use it to his team's advantage. He’s done it once, who is to say he can’t do it again? Mohamed Salah is the other force that has been consistent with Liverpool since he joined the ranks in 2017. He has been a top goal scorer on the team, including during the Victory season, carrying the team with 19 goals. He’s also won the Golden Boot 3 times in the last 7 years he’s been with Liverpool. Currently, Salah is number one in the race for top goal scorer this season. Even in the victory season, he wasn’t the top scorer in the league. Just about halfway through the season, he’s well on his way to beating his average over the last 7 years of 22 goals a season and earning the title of Liverpool's top scorer again.
So… Will Liverpool Win?
Based on the similarities between the beginning of the Victory season and the first 19 weeks of this one, I would say it’s not a bad bet to put your money on Liverpool this season. Although not as historic as 2019, they have had a strong start that has created a chasm in points between them and the rest of the field. Considering what they did with such momentum last time they started a year this strong; I believe that they are capable of going the distance again. With a manager who knows what he’s doing and one of the top scorers in the league on top of that, Liverpool has the star power. Remember to catch their matches, to see if the streak holds up for the second half of the season. For all you non-Liverpool fans out there, hope isn’t lost quite yet; after all, we’re still not even halfway through the season. However, to all you Liverpool supporters, I do believe it’s a good year to be a fan of the Reds.