Frank Christian
Liverpool comfortably secured a 2-0 victory against Aston Villa at Anfield, heading into the November international break on a high note.
Goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah contributed to the win, placing Liverpool five points ahead of the competition in the Premier League standings under manager Arne Slot.
Slot’s spirits were further elevated before the match began, as Manchester City, the reigning champions, faced their fourth straight defeat, losing 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion.
This win strengthens Liverpool’s position to potentially finish 2024 as EPL champions, having only lost once in league play since Slot took charge in the summer.
Initially seen as underdogs compared to City and Arsenal, Liverpool has shown remarkable improvement, with star player Alexis Mac Allister recognizing their current title viability after the match.
“Being five points clear means something. We must take it one step at a time. I wouldn’t have said we were contenders at the season’s start, but it certainly seems that way now,” he commented.
The statistics regarding Liverpool’s standing are promising for their title aspirations, with the team garnering 28 points from 11 games so far this season.
Historically in the Premier League, only five teams have had a five-point lead after 11 matches, and each of those teams ultimately won the league title.
In Liverpool’s only Premier League triumph during the 2019/20 season, they secured 31 points and stood six points ahead of City.
Jurgen Klopp led the team to a remarkable title win, finishing 18 points clear and ending a 30-year wait for the championship.
The other four instances at the 11-game mark have shown similar success, with City (2017/18 – eight points ahead and 2011/12 – five points ahead) being the only ones to repeat this feat.
Chelsea (2005/06 – six points ahead) and Manchester United (1993/94 – seven points ahead) also achieved similar standings before winning the English title.
