Liverpool is currently walking away with the Premier League title having seen off all challengers – only Arsenal is even close, and the Gunners currently sit 13 points behind Arne Slot’s table-topping Reds.
The 19-time champion of England appears to be the inevitable title-winner this season, having lost just once all season, and few can really figure out how Slot has done it.
Mohamed Salah has been on fire, of course, but only Federico Chiesa has been added to the team Jurgen Klopp took to third-place last season. This season has all taken place against the ugly backdrop of three key players approaching the end of their contracts – Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Many have put Liverpool’s astronomical season largely down to the heroics of Salah, who has bagged 25 goals and 17 assists in 28 Premier League games this season – one of the best individual campaigns on record.
But instead, however, Alan Shearer pointed the finger of praise at Liverpool’s medical department. While rivals have lost key players – Rodri for Manchester City, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka for Arsenal – Liverpool has remained relatively unscathed despite still competing in the Champions League and reaching the Carabao Cup final.
And Shearer believes Liverpool’s medical department has earned itself all the praise in the world for keeping Slot’s free-firing Reds fit and ready to play. Speaking to Betfair, Shearer was full of praise for the backroom staff at Liverpool.
“I think that one of their best performances was at Man City last weekend – the way they dismantled the champions, looking really comfortable,” Shearer said. “Mo Salah was outstanding – he seems to be getting better all of the time and is probably nailed on for Player of the Year across the board. This is rightly so, because he’s been magnificent.
(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“They’ve been very strong. Another feature of the season has been teams having lots of injuries, but Liverpool haven’t – they’ve been a pretty steady ship.
“Yeah they’ve had one or two injuries, but when you compare that to other teams who have been decimated then Liverpool haven’t really had that. For the vast majority of the season, they’ve kept their big-hitters fit and in the team every single week for league games.
“You have to say, whatever they’re doing in terms of their sports science, rest and recovery; they have to be given great credit for that. Their medical team behind the scenes will either be tapped up in the summer, or they’ll be in for a pay increase!”
