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Liverpool have had their best start to a Premier League season in 6 years, and look a likely candidate for the Champions League group stage next season. Here are the 5 reasons I think they might just make it into the top 4 at the end of this season.
The Uruguayan has been in the form of his life and has scored 14 goals in 10 Premier League games this season which has seen him top the scoring charts. Suarez has been in the same class as Mesut Ozil, Sergio Aguero and Eden Hazard this season and is currently inarguably one of the best players, if not the best, in England. With pace, skill, a good eye for goal and lethal finishing, Suarez is Liverpool’s main hope of Champions League qualification and also their key to defeating larger clubs. Without Suarez, Liverpool could be currently occupying a mid-table spot.
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Brendan Rodgers
For the first time since Rafael Benitez’s early days, it seems that Liverpool have a manager with an actual game plan and a squad at his disposal that can make the fans dreams come true. His European style has worked wonders in the Premier League, while he has also gotten the best out of star duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. The Northern Irishman seems to be committed to the long term cause at Anfield, which means that he can build success for the future as well as the present.
New signings
The signings of Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure have proven to be masterstrokes by Brendan Rodgers as they have become one of the League’s best defensive partnerships. Aly Cissokho has been useful as has Glen Johnson, meaning that the Reds have their most functional defence in years. With Simon Mignolet in goal, Liverpool also have a reliable goalkeeper in their ranks, meaning they should be stable at the back and last the distance until May.
Lack of competition
It may not be the most flattering thing to say to about Liverpool as they have been playing wonderful football this season, but the fact that Manchester United’s luck has finally run out, Tottenham have been less than adequate and Manchester City have been terrible away, Liverpool are battling with Arsenal and Chelsea at the top of the table mostly as a result of other teams’ failure to produce their best football. If it keeps going the way it has done, Liverpool could find themselves in a very comfortable position by Easter.
No distractions
If a club is aiming for the Champions League, the Europa League often gets in the way. A prime example of this is Lazio in Serie A who had a good season last year but the Rome based side just don’t have the players to compete in both competitions without something slipping. Newcastle have also returned after an awful season, and the main difference is that now they are not featuring in the Europa League. With no European commitments, Liverpool can focus all of their energy on making it to the Champions League, but it means there are no excuses if they fail to live up to early expectations.
