Paul Merson believes that Liverpool have one particular quality which could enable them to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
The Reds currently sit second in the table, one point behind leaders Manchester City and one ahead of Arsenal, with a promising start to the campaign fuelling a belief in some quarters that it could be a three-way battle for supremacy rather than a straight shootout between last term’s top two.
Writing for Sky Sports, the pundit claimed that Arne Slot’s squad boast a sense of unity and purpose which should stand to them in their ambitions to usurp their rivals from Manchester and north London.
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Merson wrote: “Arsenal have a togetherness and you have to have a togetherness to win leagues. They have got that in abundance and so do Manchester City.
“I think Liverpool have it as well but – and I don’t want to pick on one team – I don’t see that at Manchester United, for example. It’s what you need to win league trophies.”
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Unlike factual measures such as goals scored and conceded, for example, the attribute of ‘togetherness’ that Merson mentions is difficult to quantify when assessing potential title challengers.
However, it’s been apparent from watching Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp over the past few years – and now under Slot – that a genuine sense of ‘all for one and one for all’ courses through the Reds’ squad.
Danny Murphy hinted at that with his observation earlier this week as to the delight that Darwin Nunez demonstrates when seeing his teammates score, even while he’s sat on the bench.
Of course, it takes more than just a harmonious group to win the Premier League – an immense amount of quality is also required, although that’s something the Reds boss insists he has in abundance.
In the same article, Merson stressed how crucial it is for Liverpool to keep the bulk of their squad fit throughout the campaign if they’re to dethrone City. We’ve been largely unhindered in that regard so far (Alisson Becker and Harvey Elliott aside) and hopefully that’ll remain the case between now and May.
Slot still has plenty to prove in terms of being a potential title-winning coach in England, but with one irritating exception he’s passed every test put in front of him so far, an encouraging portent of what might yet be to come.
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