Premier League team performance: Liverpool will be looking to return to the top

Liverpool will go into the new season with big plans, looking to improve on last season’s finish, when Jurgen Klopp’s charges finished third and failed to meet pre-season expectations. The Reds will thus have big ambitions again and will be helped to fulfil them by the already healed key pillars of the team. How high will Virgil Van Dijk and co. aim?

Liverpool fans want to forget the previous season as quickly as possible. It’s as if everything has conspired against the then defending champions.

The team was plagued by injuries to key players, underperformance and luck wasn’t on its side either. Right from the start, both Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez were injured before the end of the season, which was a huge disaster for the whole of Liverpool.

The post of stopper was a cursed position. The Reds had to replace several players on it, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and even a few academy players withdrawn from the midfield.

The team then continued to be accompanied by a huge turnover of important players in other positions. Until the end of last year, however, Klopp’s squad managed to cope with these problems on the whole, as the title defence remained realistic.

But then came a major performance crisis that even knocked the club out of the top 4. A big psychological blanket fell on the team and even the star attack did not fare well. It seemed that Liverpool would finish outside the top four and not play in the Champions League next season.

However, the defending champions managed to mobilise all their forces at the end of the season. They won 8 of their last 10 games, taking advantage of the favourites’ hesitations and eventually finishing in 3rd place. Considering the problems that plagued him all season, this position could be considered a success. However, the pre-season ambitions were definitely not fulfilled.

In the 2021/22 season, it would be a very different Liverpool. All the key pillars are healthy and ready to pull their team to success.

Moreover, the squad has been strengthened by the addition of another stopper, with the arrival of Ibrahima Konaté from RB Leipzig for £35 million. Of the important players, only Georginio Wijnaldum and a couple of unnecessary players left. Otherwise, the team is holding together and is ready to attack the biggest bases again.

The main goal of the season will undoubtedly be winning the Premier League. However, given that the opponents have also strengthened a lot, it will be a very difficult task.

The Reds will of course want to succeed in the Champions League. If Liverpool win one of these big trophies, they will rate this season as a success. Otherwise, it will be another disappointment and a retreat from the top flight.

Arrivals – Konaté

Departures – Wijnaldum, Wilson, Awonyi, Grujic, Kabak

Team strengths

Liverpool will rely on their strong starting line-up, finally have a properly manned centre-back and will rely heavily on the cohesion of the squad. Most of the team has been together for about 4 years, this is where The Reds have an advantage over other rivals.

Liverpool’s secret trump card could be the promising Harvey Elliot. Only 18 years old, the Englishman has looked great in pre-season training. He can play in the centre of midfield and on the wing and could be a great joker.

Player to watch: Harvey Elliott

Team weaknesses

Narrow squad. The club could use some reinforcements in attack and midfield to give them more options. A question mark hangs over the health of several players.

Who knows what Van Dijk’s performance will be like after a serious knee injury. Konate has also been plagued by health problems, Gomez and Matip are also quite susceptible. Firmino and Mané also had a crisis last season.

How will Liverpool fare this season?

LFC can go into this season on a positive note. It can’t possibly have a worse season than the previous one.

The alpha omega of success will be the health of key players. If they stay clear of injuries, they can challenge for the title. If not, the Reds will have a tough time winning the big trophy.

Liverpool’s gamble with a narrow squad didn’t work out last season, so we’ll see how it goes this time. However, they must continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the battle for the top spot, plus they will once again have the support of their great fans.

Prediction for the Premier League – 2nd place

Source: Transfermarkt, Liverpool