2019 has been some year for Liverpool, a Champions League triumph and second place in the Premier League is a brilliant return, but the Reds want more.
It was arguably the best title chase in Premier League history though that will be of little consolation to a Liverpool team, its fans and the proud city who were all hoping to end a domestic drought of three decades. 2019/20 promises to be another humdinger for SBOBET Premier League fans worldwide, and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will be desperate to seize more glory.
Winning the Champions League in a final against Spurs was a fitting end to a season in which the Reds became a serious threat to Manchester City. The recruitment of goalkeeper Alisson Becker and centre back Virgil Van Dijk made a huge difference to the Merseysiders whose defence stepped up to the standard of its world-class attack.
Van Dijk, at £75 million, now looks a snip as he has become, in many eyes, the best defender on the planet.
Champions League or Premier League?
There’s no denying Liverpool’s stunning Champions League triumph meant a lot to the red half of Merseyside. To make it six European titles was sweet, and a statistic their fans will be happy to remind any Manchester United supporter they come across!
But to lose the Premier League by a single point must have hurt. Both Manchester City and Liverpool won every match in the run-in; but the Sky Blues had arguably the tougher fixtures in the last five games, including a Manchester derby and a trip to an in-form Burnley. The champions won at Turf Moor courtesy of a Sergio Aguero goal which crossed the line by 19 millimetres. Such is the margin between triumph and disappointment.
Would Pep Guardiola and Klopp swap their trophies? You know what? I think they would. Manchester City needs to win the Champions League to complete its journey to become, arguably, the best side in world football. And Liverpool fans yearn for a Premier League title.
As the early Premier League 2019 results start to roll in, I for one will be amazed if Liverpool and Manchester City don’t rise to the top by September.
An outstanding heritage
Liverpool is one of the best supported clubs worldwide, coming to prominence in the 1970s with globally renowned stars such as Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Ray Clemence and Ray Kennedy. And the Reds dominated the English and European scene throughout the 1980s winning six league titles, two European crowns, two FA Cups and four League cups in that decade.
That intensity of dominance has never been matched. Manchester United came closest during the reign of Alex Ferguson, though the Red Devils had stronger opposition in Arsenal and Chelsea. But the Fergie era was a desolate one for Liverpool, and how the Mersey club would love to completely turn the tables once again.
Prospects for 2019/20
Reds legend Mark Lawrenson believes Klopp needs to strengthen in two areas if his team is to push Manchester City as hard again this season as they did in the last. Andy Robertson had an outstanding season at left wing back, a solid defender and one of the highest assisters in the league. But the departure of Alberto Moreno has left him with little support, utility man James Milner could step in but that area looks thinly covered.
And further forward, Klopp was disappointed last year not to secure the signature of Nabil Fekir. He has the firepower up front with Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino set to continue terrorising defences with their pace, but Klopp lacks a really skilful attacking midfielder to sit behind the front two and make those killer passes. Fekir would be ideal.
The early Premier League 2019 betting odds have installed Pep Guardiola’s City as odds-on favourites to win a third successive title, but Liverpool is way ahead of the rest of the pack in second. The gap between the two teams was only one point, but Manchester City still has the better cover for its first eleven and played the majority of last season without their best player, Kevin de Bruyne. I fear last season may have been the Reds’ best chance to interrupt a period of Sky Blue dominance.
But Klopp’s men open up the new Premier League season with a home fixture against newly-promoted Norwich City. With all respect due to the Canaries, surely Liverpool will sit at the top of the table, at least for a day. The question remains… can they hold that position on the final day of the campaign?
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