Leeds could steal show
WITH Manchester City fading, Manchester United dropping close to the relegation zone, and Liverpool looking vulnerable, the stage is set for a most unlikely Premier League season.
It could be as unlikely as when the Blackburn Rovers won the Premiership in 1995 ( and their last title success was in 1914), and Leicester City as well in 2016 ( their first domestic crown in their 132- year history).
Right now, the table looks like this:
1. Everton
2. Liverpool
3. Aston Villa
4. Leeds
Everton and Aston Villa have a game at hand. But the picture is.... It is only Liverpool that has been a regular fixture in the top four in the last four seasons.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have looked vulnerable, inconsistent, and porous. And they have since the re- start at the tail- end of last season where they bagged their first Premier League title and first domestic championship since 19990. The Reds are still dangerous, talented, and motivated. But they are clearly not their old world- beating selves. Yet.
There’s the matter of injuries to Virgil Van Dijk who could possibly be out for the season. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain has been injured since September. Thiago Alcantara was also knocked out during that contentious match with Everton. New signing Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip have been in and out. Luckily, for Klopp, Allisson just returned and in time for the win versus Sheffield.
They are looking at bringing in a reinforcement on defense during the coming January transfer window. How their health and defense holds up will determine how far they go.
For sure, the VAR decisions that went against them versus Everton and Sheffield should see them rightfully at the top. But such is the state of the game, where for the second straight year, the Premier League has not gotten it right. Man City tripped once more as they had to rely on a late goal to equalize with West Ham. Oh, the latter side is at 10th in the current table with the former right behind at 11th.
Man United’s scoreless draw with Chelsea saw them stay at 15th spot; two slots above the relegation zone with seven points in five matches.
And that brings us to Leeds. They crushed erstwhile second place squad Aston Villa, 3- 0 at Villa Park.
The Marcelo Bielsa- coached side that was promoted from the Championship last season has looked absolutely wonderful even during their losses to Liverpool and Wolverhampton and their draw with City.
Leeds though, in my opinion, were lucky that Aston Villa did not score early on (and they should have). It was a bounce back for them after they lost at their home field of Elland Road to Wolves, 1-nil.
They have had good spirit and tactics as they crowd the middle of the park with their midfielders and attackers. Their defenders have been very good as well. And Leeds has been lucky to avoid the injury bug as well; something clubs like Liverpool and Man City have had to deal with.
Pep Guardiola has lamented the short preparation period for the season (but then again every club has had to deal with that) and injuries to Aymeric Laporte, Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, and now, Sergio Aguero (Kevin de Buyne and Oleksandr Zinchenko were on the bench).
If Leeds hold up until season’s end, they could be playing in Europe next season and if they play their cards really tight and the other squads falter, they could even win the Premiership. That is, of course, getting ahead of everything. There are still 32 matches to be played. By the end of the first round, we’ll have a clear picture of who have a chance to win and finish in the top four.
What is undisputable as of the moment is this Premiership is looking like a wide open and unpredictable race.
That is why is bears much watching and scrutiny. How if only the league can sort out VAR. The technology is good; the people reading the info have been bad.