Traditionally, Liverpool have been already in a title-winning place earlier than a ball was kicked on Wednesday.
After beating Manchester Metropolis on Sunday they have been 9 factors away from second place after 13 league video games.
Solely two groups in Premier League historical past have had a lead of no less than 9 factors after the identical variety of matches – Manchester United in 1993-94 and Chelsea in 2005-06 – and each went on to win the title.
Regardless of that, many are nonetheless urging warning within the battle on the high.
Reds boss Arne Slot mentioned earlier than the Newcastle recreation that 19 matches can be a greater barometer of how the title battle is shaping up, an opinion that may have solely been galvanised after the 3-3 draw with Newcastle.
Manchester Metropolis’s loss to Liverpool left them 11 factors adrift of the Reds however that has been lower to 9, and historical past suggests they’re greater than able to overturning such a deficit.
In 2018-19, they trailed Liverpool by 10 factors after a poor run of kind in December however then received 18 of their 19 matches from the thirtieth of that month to go on and clinch the title.
“I feel we all know Man Metropolis will not be out of the title race – they’ll have a say,” former Manchester Metropolis participant and supervisor Stuart Pearce mentioned on Amazon Prime.
“There are going to be loads of twists and turns within the title race. That is what makes the Premier League so good.”
Former Arsenal ahead Theo Walcott added: “That is the place you get a really feel for the place you’ll find yourself on the finish of the season. It’s a interval the place you may make up loads of factors.”
Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, a Premier League champion with them in 2008–09 and 2010–11, mentioned his former supervisor Sir Alex Ferguson would by no means entertain title discuss at this stage of the season.
“He would say if we keep first after the Christmas interval we win the league,” he advised Amazon Prime.
“He was all the time very strict round this time of the 12 months – ‘keep at house and do not exit’. It was price it – it’s about profitable the title on the finish of the day.”
