Liverpool players attend a training session on Friday, ahead of their Premier League match against Newcastle.
Liverpool’s sizzling start to
the Premier League season has left their title rivals breathless and
the red-hot leaders are expected to maintain their perfect record
against Newcastle on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have seized the early initiative in the Premier
League with four successive wins to open up a two-point lead over second
placed Manchester City.
The European champions’ relentless tempo has overwhelmed Norwich,
Southampton, Arsenal and Burnley, sending a message that they are
determined to make amends for narrowly failing to pip City to the trophy
last season.
Arsenal’s Dani Ceballos is new to English football after joining on loan
from Real Madrid and the Spain midfielder admitted to being gob-smacked
at the intensity Liverpool displayed in their 3-1 victory against the
Gunners in August.
“I had never seen anything like it. I’ve not seen up until now a team
that plays better, that presses better. That game had quite an impact on
me,” Ceballos told the Daily Mail.
“They suck the air out of you. You spend so much time defending and when
you want to catch your breath and get on the ball for a bit, they’ve
taken it from you again.
“I think Jurgen Klopp now has the team he first had in mind when he started four years ago.”
That glowing testimony underlines the size of the task facing City as
they try to stop Liverpool winning their first English crown since 1990.
City may have won the last two Premier League titles in scintillating
fashion, but Liverpool look better than ever this term and Newcastle are
unlikely to halt their progress at Anfield this weekend.
With City playing Norwich in Saturday’s late game, the champions could
be five points behind Liverpool by the time they kick off at Carrow
Road.
Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten and have already thrashed West Ham and
Brighton, but their lone slip — a draw against Tottenham — allowed
Liverpool to seize pole position and they can’t afford another against
second bottom Norwich.
Across Manchester, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United can only dream of
gate-crashing the title race after a disappointing start showed how far
they have fallen off the pace.
United have won only once in their first four games, adding to the
incentive for their England defender Harry Maguire to inspire a victory
against his former club Leicester.
Paul Pogba heads a lengthy United injury list for the visit of in-form
Leicester with Solskjaer potentially missing seven first-team players.
Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly will also
definitely miss the clash with the Foxes, while Jesse Lingard and Aaron
Wan-Bissaka are both doubtful after withdrawing from England’s Euro 2020
qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.
Pogba twisted his ankle in the 1-1 draw at Southampton two weeks ago and
did not play for France in their two matches during the international
break, with the midfielder expected to return for the match at West Ham
on 22 September.
Shaw (hamstring) and Martial (thigh) have still not recovered from the
injuries sustained in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on 24 August,
while Dalot (hip) and Bailly (knee) are longer-term injuries.
“The treatment room has been busy and it still is,” said Solskjaer. “We
don’t really know who is going to be available. Maybe Aaron and Jesse
will make it but that is it from the ones that pulled out. “Paul will
not be fit, not unless he has a miraculous recovery. He has not been
ready to do training at 100 per cent.” Maguire is the world’s most
expensive defender after his £80 million close-season move from
Leicester, but he is yet to play like it, as his creaky showing in
England’s midweek Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo emphasised.
Leicester will arrive at Old Trafford above Maguire’s men in the table
after an impressive unbeaten start. Mauricio Pochettino must hope the
closure of the European transfer window lifts the mood at Tottenham, who
host fourth placed Crystal Palace looking to secure only their second
win.
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