Pool winning title in absentia would be a Bridge too far

LET’S get a few things straight from the off. Liverpool are going to win the Premier League title. They’re going to win it sooner rather than later, as in the next few weeks rather than years.

And I’m not going to lie: the party was organised for tonight, with the hope and expectation that victory over Crystal Palace would confirm what all us Liverpool fans have known since about early February but barely dared to dream until mid-March, just before the Covid-19 shutdown and the whole thing being put on ice. And as things stand right now, the celebratory drinks we were planning to clink together tonight with friends will stay on ice too.

Merseyside derbies are rarely pretty things. Last Sunday’s edition didn’t disappoint in that department. The meeting of Liverpool and Everton at the latter’s Goodison Park was a dog of a game, made even less palatable by the fact that in this new world order the second coming of the 2019/20 Premier League will be concluded in empty stadia.

Everton, no doubt, and notwithstanding they were the home team, will be happy with their point on Sunday evening as the limp on in their inexorable crawl to mid-table mediocrity - again - , while Liverpool will see it as two dropped points and the opportunity lost to seal the title tonight at Anfield.

(In the interests of full disclosure, it must be stated that while the Reds dominated most of the key statistics, including having 70% possession over the Blues, the home side did create the better clear-cut goal scoring chances and might have snatched victory but for the alertness of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.)

Manchester City’s demolition of Burnley on Monday night keeps Liverpool’s nearest challenger - a whopping 20 points behind - mathematically still in the title chase, but what it really means is that Liverpool could now clinch the title in the worst possible way: by sitting at home and not kicking a ball.

Should Liverpool do as expected of them against Palace tonight, then Man City would need to win their next game to keep the title race, nominally at least, alive. And City’s next game? Away to Chelsea in Stamford Bridge...

Given that City’s two results since Project Restart has seen them beat Arsenal and Burnley on an aggregate score of 8-0, it would appear that Chelsea - struggling 2-1 winners away to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon - will be no match for Pep Guardiola’s team, but if a very capable Chelsea team can even take a draw and a point from that game, Liverpool will be champions from the comfort of their own couches.

After 30 years in the wilderness as far as winning the League title goes, Reds fans will take the deal whatever way it comes, but being conferred champions while not on the playing pitch will be just one more jibe for bitter opposition fans to throw at the Pool. So be it.

Of course, should City come away from the Bridge with all three points - and assuming Liverpool do the same against Palace - then the next game for both is one to really savour: Thursday, July 2 at the Etihad Stadium - Man City versus Liverpool.

The flip-side of Liverpool winning the title this Thursday night while not even playing is that they could clinch the thing at the home of the reigning Premier League champions, their nearest challenger, and the team that is now their greatest rival and threat domestically.

Had things gone to plan against Everton, it could have been the case that City would have had to applaud Liverpool onto the Etihad Stadium pitch as the new champions, but now it could be the case that they applaud them off it if the visitors can take victory and the silverware there.

Of course, we’re all getting ahead of ourselves here. Crystal Palace were tuned in, sharp and full value for their 2-0 away win to struggling Bournemouth on Saturday evening, and with the absence of supporters, home ‘advantage’ has been diminished somewhat. Diminished enough, perhaps, that Roy Hodgson will bring his team back to one of his old managerial stomping grounds, Anfield, confident that Palace can do enough to delay Liverpool’s coronation even further.

It could be that Palace and then Chelsea throw a couple of spanners in the works and that the meeting of Liverpool and City on July 2 won’t decide the damn thing then either. Beyond that Liverpool host Villa a couple of hours before City go south to Southampton on July 5...this title ‘race’ could run and run...

And that’s the thing. It’s been three months since these teams and players played competitively or could even train collectively until a couple of weeks ago. They’re effectively starting a new season without the benefit of pre-season warm-up games. Take away the crowds and the stadium atmosphere and the whole thing looks and feels a bit flat right now.

Tonight was meant to be the celebration of a long awaited coronation for Liverpool fans but the champagne will have to sit on ice for a little while longer. But as long as those 30 years have been, all Reds will be happy to wait a few days longer now. We don’t want to win the title not playing this Thursday at Stamford Bridge - we want to get back on our perch at the Etihad Stadium the following Thursday beating the outgoing champions at their own game.