Now Liverpool must seize perfect chance to bring back feel-good factor in Premier League title race

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David Lynch7 February 2019

A consistent message has emerged from the Liverpool dressing room following a difficult week in the Premier League title race.

Speaking in the aftermath of disappointing draws with Leicester City and West Ham United, Jurgen Klopp, James Milner and Andy Robertson took it in turns to insist fans should be enjoying this nail-biting ride.

But it took until Wednesday for the reason why many aren’t to be emphatically underlined by an inevitable Manchester City win over Everton.

Due to a scheduling quirk brought about by the champions’ participation in the League Cup final, victory at Goodison Park took them to top spot by virtue of goal difference.

It also sparked scenes of premature celebration often said to be the hallmark of ‘deluded’ Kopites from rival supporters.

Social media was awash with claims that the Reds had, once again, bottled the chance to end their lengthy wait for a Premier League title.

One betting company even went as far as to suggest Klopp’s team had blown a 10-point lead between December 29 and February 6 - intentionally disregarding the games in hand on either side of those dates, of course.

At times like this, facts and rationality simply get in the way of the race to produce the most sneering take on a rival’s misfortune, and so they are often cast aside.

Yet, as many observers were keen to point out when Liverpool sat at the summit, there is a long, long way to go yet.

Premier League table | As it stands

Pos Team P W D L GD Pts
1 Man City 26 20 2 4 48 62
2 Liverpool 25 19 5 1 41 62
3 Tottenham 25 19 0 6 27 57

For all the attempts to paint the Reds as a busted flush, this weekend represents a chance to go three points clear in the tightest Premier League title race in half a decade.

The destination of the trophy has not been as uncertain after 25 fixtures of a season since 2013-14, when the eventual winners and runners-up sat in third and fourth place respectively at that point.

But only one side involved knows that they will be crowned champions should they win every game between now and May.

Liverpool’s bid to do just that - or to get as close to such perfection as possible - begins against Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday.

Klopp’s team have won their last three meetings with the Cherries by an aggregate score of 11-0 and are likely to restore influential duo Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to their line-up.

Fee-good factor: Anfield tension has translated onto the pitch in recent weeks
AP

They should also be aided by a notably raucous atmosphere if this week’s pleas from fan group Spion Kop 1906 have not fallen on deaf ears.

Going into that game, Reds supporters would perhaps benefit from shaking off the recency bias that clouds assessment of their team’s hopes and look ahead with renewed positivity.

A squad boasting this much quality is sure to return to getting the results to prove it soon enough, particularly with injury problems beginning to ease.

For that reason, this weekend’s meeting with Eddie Howe’s side must be viewed as an opportunity to restore the form that gave birth to this title charge.

Should Liverpool kickstart a run of good results by restoring a three-point advantage at the top, it is they, not City, who will be installed as favourites as the finish line nears.

Then, fans might even begin to heed advice from the manager and his players about enjoying the journey.

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