Is this a title-winning Liverpool team?

A look at the underlying numbers offers clues as to whether Liverpool can go on to win the Premier League this season.

Photo: IMAGO | Anfield Index

For many, a quick look at the Premier League table is enough to suggest that Liverpool are firmly in title contention this season.

Nine points clear of Arsenal and five of second-placed perennial champions Manchester City, the Reds certainly look to be well placed for a shot at glory this term.

And yet the scars from recent title disappointments mean every Kopite knows that getting carried away at this early stage would be unwise.

Instead, hard evidence to back up the Reds’ credentials is needed, and a look back at what it has taken to lift the trophy across the last three years feels like a helpful barometer of current trends.

A good place is to start is the fact that City’s 91, 89 and 93-point finishes across the past three seasons suggest that, on average, 91 is the number to hit to get over the line.

Encouragingly, Liverpool are thus far going at a 96-point pace, meaning they could even ease to 2.3 points per game (87 points over a full campaign) from here and still meet their target.

By contrast, struggling Arsenal would need to go at just over 2.6 per game (marginally shy of 100 a season), while City are aiming for 2.5 (95). 

Slot might need more in attack

Of course, there are other, deeper benchmarks worth examining to judge Liverpool’s chances, including whether their attack stacks up against champions of the past.