League Cup: why Liverpool are so strong this season

After last season's epic battle, the Premier League could legitimately expect to find Manchester City and Arsenal at the top in 2023-2024. Respectively second and third, Skyblues and Gunners are well placed, but it is Liverpool who occupy the leader's chair. Best attack and second best defense in the championship, qualified for the League Cup final against Chelsea (this Sunday February 25, 2024, 4:00 p.m.), the Reds are having a full season. Without making any noise.

The surprise is not comparable to that which Spain is currently experiencing with Girona FC and Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool FC is one of the historic members of the “Big Four” and boasts one of the finest records in England. But its current form is surprising in several ways. The club remains in a delicate 2022-2023 season, ending in 5th place, its worst ranking in seven years.

And several major players left the ship this summer, including captain Jordan Henderson, the Brazilians Fabinho and Roberto Firmino, and the inexhaustible James Milner. “At the start of the season, the objective was simply to see the team progress on the pitch,” explains Daniel Austin, British journalist and LFC follower. No one expected a fight at the top, but rather a year of transition which lays a solid foundation with a view to regaining big titles in the coming seasons.

Liverpool defy the odds and miraculously overcome the shambles of injuries. Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Andrew Robertson are currently in the infirmary. The only bright spot is the return of Mohamed Salah after a hamstring strain which deprived him of most of the African Cup of Nations with Egypt. With 19 goals in all competitions, the Pharaoh is walking on water this season.

The magical trio he formed with Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino is no more, but Liverpool has recovered perfectly. Five players have scored at least 9 goals this season: Salah (19), Jota (14), Núñez (13), Gakpo (10) and Díaz (9). “Liverpool used to play with a fixed attacking trio, but it’s more malleable today. The coach tends to adapt his attack depending on the opponent. The pressure is distributed evenly between all these attackers who combine creativity and skill in front of goal. Everyone plays in a liberated way,” analyzes Daniel Austin.

No better symbol than the blossoming of Darwin Núñez. Possessed at a high price from Benfica in the summer of 2022 (around 100 million euros including bonus), the Uruguayan striker has long been mocked. “He’s a weird footballer. He can make extremely difficult actions simple but have difficulty carrying out elementary tasks,” laughs Daniel Austin. Not successful last season, the big tattooed man never gave up. His generous and altruistic attitude is finally paying off this season, as he was decisive 22 times (13 goals, 11 assists). “He is a permanent nuisance for the opponent. His teammates love playing with him because he takes up a lot of space and loves defenders.”

In defense, the Dutchman Virgil van Dijk has regained his best level and is having “one of the best seasons at the club”. His association with the Frenchman Ibrahima Konaté, “one of the most physical, calm and confident defenders in Europe” works wonderfully. As a result, the team has conceded less than one goal per match this season in the league, compared to an average of 1.2 last year. In the middle, where the construction site was the most important after the departures of the summer transfer window, the Argentine world champion Alexis Mac Allister asserts himself as boss. A good connoisseur of the Premier League after spending three and a half seasons with Brighton, this small size (1.76m) played the vast majority of matches while injuries made the middle triangle very unstable. Lately, it is the Japanese Wataru Endo (31 years old) and the English hopeful Curtis Jones (23 years old) who hold the rope to accompany him.

And then Liverpool does not have a Champions League to play this season. Qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League, the Reds do not play fewer matches, but the pressure is not the same. The C3 is above all an opportunity to appreciate the depth of the squad, with a clever mix of experience and youth. The numerous rotations have little impact on the quality of the eleven concocted by Jürgen Klopp.

Nothing therefore seems capable of stopping Liverpool's great dynamic this season, not even the announced departure of its German coach after almost ten years spent on the banks of the Mersey. “The players' form has not changed since the announcement. They didn't let the shock distract them, which is a testament to their self-confidence. They play with the same concentration and determination, notes Daniel Austin. I'm sure they're keen to win him as many trophies as possible before he leaves."

A first, the League Cup, could be won on Sunday by beating Chelsea. The team can also hope to go far in the FA Cup and the Europa League. Will the Premier League follow? Difficult to say if the Reds will be able to contain the winning comeback of Arsenal and Manchester City. The Gunners easily triumphed at home on February 4 (3-1), and the enticing Liverpool-Manchester City on March 10 could well be decisive in the title race.