Andy Townsend believes that there’s now just one team who can keep Liverpool honest in the Premier League title race after another pivotal day in the top flight.
Second-placed Chelsea dropped points for the second time in five days as they slumped to a home defeat against Fulham on Boxing Day, and the Reds took full advantage a few hours later by coming from behind to beat Leicester at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s team are now seven points clear at the summit with a game in hand on the Blues, with Nottingham Forest a further point back and Arsenal nine points adrift with the same number of matches played as LFC.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Video Sport, Townsend claimed that only the Gunners look capable of putting pressure on Liverpool in the title race after today’s results.
The former Everton winger said [via BBC Sport, 21:56]: “Arne Slot is getting a lot right at the moment. Arsenal are the only ones who I feel will apply [pressure].”
Liverpool had a brief stumble earlier in December when dropping four points in consecutive league games as Chelsea took full advantage, but the equation has been flipped over the past week – in fact, the Blues have left five points behind since Sunday, with the Reds duly punishing their rivals.
Arsenal could narrow the gap to six points should they beat Ipswich at home on Friday night, but right now the title race is tilted very much in the Merseysiders’ favour.
LFC fans might still be cautious given how we’ve been in a similarly dominant position in previous years and not gone on to lift the Premier League trophy, but the truth is that every other club in the division would gladly swap places with us at the moment.
A number of Liverpool players have been involved in several title races and won’t be getting ahead of themselves just yet, but hopefully that experience will stand to us during the second half of the season. At least this time around, Manchester City aren’t lurking to pounce on any slip-ups!
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