Harry Kewell firmly believes that Liverpool is deserving of the Premier League title this season, despite acknowledging that potential title-rivals have struggled to pose a significant challenge. The Reds currently sit comfortably at the top of the table with an 11-point lead and require just 11 points from their remaining seven matches to secure the championship.
Arne Slot’s squad missed a golden opportunity to further extend their lead on Sunday when they suffered a surprising 3-2 defeat against Fulham, especially after witnessing Arsenal’s draw against Everton the previous day.
Despite this setback, Liverpool remains in a strong position to clinch the title, with a home game against Arsenal still on the cards next month. While Slot’s team has been a dominant force in the Premier League this season, suffering only their second loss at Fulham, their would-be title rivals have all fallen short.
Man City is languishing in sixth place, a staggering 21 points behind Liverpool, while Chelsea is just a point and two places ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side. In addition, fellow ‘Big Six’ teams Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have had particularly disappointing seasons, sitting 13th and 14th in the table respectively – a massive 35 and 36 points adrift of the Reds.
Kewell has expressed admiration for Liverpool’s performance this season, but noted that his former club has faced little competition. He said “I don’t want to go yes, yes, yes (Liverpool will win the league) because you never know what can happen in the Premier League. (Slot has been) fantastic, I don’t think he could have wished for a better opportunity.
“I think it’s harsh for what I’m about to say, but it’s kind of helped that Arsenal has had a terrible time, Man City has had a terrible time, Chelsea has not been up there. Nobody’s really challenged Liverpool. But, in saying that, Slot had a fantastic start to the season. And the way Liverpool played at the start of the season, I think it deserves to be exactly where it is.”
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On the topic of Liverpool’s key players’ contracts, Kewell expressed concern over the potential departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk, warning of the time it might take for Liverpool to progress without them. Yet, he intriguingly suggested that Salah’s exit could lead to other players stepping up, hinting at a possible silver lining.
“It’s a tough one because you don’t want to lose your best players,” he shared with Sky Sports. “You don’t want to lose a homegrown player, first and foremost, an England international. (Alexander-Arnold) grew up there, he’s played very well, he’s won everything that he needs to win. As a natural crosser, he’s probably one of the best the Premier League has seen.
“To see him go, if he goes, would be a disappointment. But the fact that he has that opportunity (to join Real Madrid) just means he’s a great player. Mo Salah, what he’s achieved at Liverpool and over that space of time is nothing but phenomenal. Again, it’s a tough one because he’s coming to that age and who knows what’s happening with the contract situation.
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“I think Liverpool will be disappointed because he does score a lot of the goals. But sometimes when you do see a great player move, it kind of blooms other players and that gives them more responsibility.
“So you never know, you may have that advance with the other players coming in and scoring more goals. But no-one wants to see him leave, he would be a massive loss – not only to Liverpool but to the Premier League as well.
“Van Dijk is the one for me. He’s been huge ever since he arrived at Liverpool. His stature, his size, the way he plays. I’ve always liked him as a player and I think he’s up there as probably the best centre-back the Premier League has ever seen.
“You can bring anyone beside him, left-back, center-back, right-back, anyone beside him, and he can make them feel comfortable. If that goes, it could take time. Liverpool has got players that can fill that role but it may take a little bit of time.”
