Premier League: Liverpool eye records as Reds close in on title
With Liverpool on the brink of winning the Premier League, we take a look at the records Jürgen Klopp's men could break in their remaining seven matches.
Wednesday night’s comfortable 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace leaves Liverpool within two points of clinching their first Premier League title. They face second-place Manchester City at the Etihad next week and while securing English football’s top prize at the home of the reigning champions would be quite an achievement, if results go their way it could be wrapped up before then.
When can Liverpool win the league?
With Liverpool now 23 points ahead of City, who have eight games remaining, anything less than a win for Pep Guardiola’s men against Chelsea on Thursday evening would see Liverpool confirmed as champions.
However, City have been in impressive form since the restart and would expect to beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge. If they do pick up the three points in West London, attention would then switch to next Thursday’s clash of the top two at the Etihad, with Liverpool needing just a point to secure the title.
Liverpool’s record-breaking season
Liverpool’s insurmountable lead was established during an incredible run in the first half of the season in which they acquired 61 points from their first 21 matches, only dropping points in a draw at Old Trafford. That is the most that any side has ever gathered at that stage in any of the ‘Big Five’ European leagues.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the victory over Palace, Trent Alexander-Arnold made it clear that Jürgen Klopp's squad are remaining motivated and hope to break some more records in the final seven games. The England right-back said: "Whatever happens, we’ve still got to go to City and try to get a result. We’ve got a lot of games left... so we’ve got to keep pushing ourselves and hopefully break a few records.
"We’ve waited a long time for this and we’ve worked hard over the last few years as a team, a squad and a club... this is what we’ve dreamed of. We’re in a good position, hopefully, we can get it over the line soon."
Which records can Klopp's men break?
Anfield has always been a fortress for the Reds, but this year even more than usual and they are currently on a 23-match winning run there in the Premier League. They have won 16/16 at home so far this season and if they win the remaining three (Aston Villa, Burnley, Chelsea) they would become the first side to win every home game in a Premier League campaign.
Manchester City’s 2017/18 season under Guardiola remains the pinnacle for Premier League title-winners. They are the only side to reach 100 points; they won by the largest margin (19 points) and were one of only two sides who secured the league with five games remaining (the other being Manchester United in 2000/01).
Liverpool are 14 points off 100 with seven games to play, so need to average over twp points per game to beat it, having averaged 2.77 so far this season. If they can at least match City’s point total from the remaining games they will have a winning margin of over 20, and even a draw at the Etihad will see them wrap up the title with six games spare.
On an individual level, both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané will retain hope of winning a second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot. The Egyptian is just two goals off current top scorer Jamie Vardy and has an easier run-in than the Leicester hitman.
If Salah can overhaul Vardy to win another Golden Boot, it would be his third in an incredible four seasons on Merseyside. He would also join an elite pair of forwards who have won the award three times, moving level with Alan Shearer and one behind Thierry Henry.
If either Salah or Mané (two behind Salah and four off Vardy) finish as top scorer, it would put Liverpool clear of Arsenal as the club to have won the most Premier League Golden Boots. Liverpool are currently on six, with Michael Owen (twice) and Luis Suarez having also achieved that feat.