Liverpool leave title rivals breathless; injury crisis hits Utd
Liverpool players attend a training session on Friday, ahead of their Premier League match against Newcastle.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have seized the early initiative in the Premier League with four successive wins to open up a two-point lead over second placed Manchester City.
The European champions’ relentless tempo has overwhelmed Norwich, Southampton, Arsenal and Burnley, sending a message that they are determined to make amends for narrowly failing to pip City to the trophy last season.
Arsenal’s Dani Ceballos is new to English football after joining on loan from Real Madrid and the Spain midfielder admitted to being gob-smacked at the intensity Liverpool displayed in their 3-1 victory against the Gunners in August.
“I had never seen anything like it. I’ve not seen up until now a team that plays better, that presses better. That game had quite an impact on me,” Ceballos told the Daily Mail.
“They suck the air out of you. You spend so much time defending and when you want to catch your breath and get on the ball for a bit, they’ve taken it from you again.
“I think Jurgen Klopp now has the team he first had in mind when he started four years ago.”
That glowing testimony underlines the size of the task facing City as they try to stop Liverpool winning their first English crown since 1990.
City may have won the last two Premier League titles in scintillating fashion, but Liverpool look better than ever this term and Newcastle are unlikely to halt their progress at Anfield this weekend.
With City playing Norwich in Saturday’s late game, the champions could be five points behind Liverpool by the time they kick off at Carrow Road.
Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten and have already thrashed West Ham and Brighton, but their lone slip — a draw against Tottenham — allowed Liverpool to seize pole position and they can’t afford another against second bottom Norwich.
Across Manchester, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United can only dream of gate-crashing the title race after a disappointing start showed how far they have fallen off the pace.
United have won only once in their first four games, adding to the incentive for their England defender Harry Maguire to inspire a victory against his former club Leicester.
Paul Pogba heads a lengthy United injury list for the visit of in-form Leicester with Solskjaer potentially missing seven first-team players.
Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly will also definitely miss the clash with the Foxes, while Jesse Lingard and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are both doubtful after withdrawing from England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.
Pogba twisted his ankle in the 1-1 draw at Southampton two weeks ago and did not play for France in their two matches during the international break, with the midfielder expected to return for the match at West Ham on 22 September.
Shaw (hamstring) and Martial (thigh) have still not recovered from the injuries sustained in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on 24 August, while Dalot (hip) and Bailly (knee) are longer-term injuries.
“The treatment room has been busy and it still is,” said Solskjaer. “We don’t really know who is going to be available. Maybe Aaron and Jesse will make it but that is it from the ones that pulled out. “Paul will not be fit, not unless he has a miraculous recovery. He has not been ready to do training at 100 per cent.” Maguire is the world’s most expensive defender after his £80 million close-season move from Leicester, but he is yet to play like it, as his creaky showing in England’s midweek Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo emphasised.
Leicester will arrive at Old Trafford above Maguire’s men in the table after an impressive unbeaten start. Mauricio Pochettino must hope the closure of the European transfer window lifts the mood at Tottenham, who host fourth placed Crystal Palace looking to secure only their second win.
Agence France-Presse
Premier League fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated)
On Saturday: Brighton vs Burnley, Liverpool vs Newcastle (1130 GMT), Manchester Utd vs Leicester, Norwich vs Manchester City (1630 GMT), Sheffield Utd vs Southampton, Tottenham vs Crystal Palace, Wolves vs Chelsea
On Sunday: Bournemouth vs Everton (1300 GMT), Watford vs Arsenal (1530 GMT)
On Monday: Aston Villa vs West Ham (1900 GMT).
