Injured Players Hurting Liverpool Bet At Defending The PL Title, Manchester United Retains Top Spot

Liverpool's unbeaten home stint ends after 1,368 days. With Van Dijk, Gomez, Jota, Matip and Keita still injured, Jurgen Klopp seems short of ideas for the first time.

Jurgen Klopp after the loss against Burnley. (Source: Getty Images)

Premier League Champions Liverpool are now six points off the top spot in the league after their home defeat against Burnley. With this loss, Liverpool FC’s 68-match unbeaten run at home came to an end. Anfield, Liverpool’s home-ground had become a fortress that looked impossible to siege, but scarcely anyone would have imagined that it would be Burnley, a team so down the PL table, that would break this record. Liverpool last lost a game at Anfield in April 2017, exactly three years and 273 days ago.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A 𝙗𝙞𝙜 win on the road for Burnley ends Liverpool&#39;s unbeaten home run<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVBUR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#LIVBUR</a> <a href="https://t.co/UJRpDEcASS" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/UJRpDEcASS</a></p>&mdash; Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1352373541585498122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The reigning Champions are now six points off the top spot. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said, “We can't imagine the title race at the moment” and that the Burnley loss is a “massive punch in the face” for Liverpool.

Liverpool looked in red hot form on December 19, when they thrashed Crystal Palace for 7-0. But then, things started to go downhill after three draws against Wes Brom, Newscastle and Manchester United and a loss against Southampton. A lot is to be credited to the players who are missing from the Liverpool squad due to injury concerns. Top players including Virgil Van Dijk, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Naby Keita have been out of the squad since a long time.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Jürgen Klopp has offered a frank assessment after being beaten at Anfield. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVBUR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#LIVBUR</a></p>&mdash; Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1352391191699075076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Liverpool, who looked leaps and bounces ahead of other teams in the previous season is struggling to find their rhythm post-Christmas 2020. Van Dijk said “the hard work continues” on Twitter, having also been pictured doing gym work.

Gomez also said on Twitter: “Taking it a day at a time, but giving it my all… “There is no education like adversity”

Although, there has been no official word on the return of these players from Liverpool yet.

Things look promising for the Red Devils

Manchester United are back to the Top of the Premier League table. Their 2-1 win against Fullham cemented their place on top. That game saw a superb goal by frenchman, Paul Pogba. United had a shaky start to their campaign but picked up after their new signings began picking up pace. Edinson Cavani helped United win a game from a 2-0 deficit against Southampton in November. United have been unleashing ever since.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Out of this W🌍rld 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#MUFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/paulpogba?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@PaulPogba</a> <a href="https://t.co/T06ZlE0UOP" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/T06ZlE0UOP</a></p>&mdash; Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1352247072326639617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The arrival of Bruno Fernandes in the squad has changed the way manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks at the team. Although, Manchester City are the team with least points dropped, they are on number two as they have one game in hand. But that tells how close a contest there is in this year’s Premier League. The Top seven teams have a difference of just eight points amongst them.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">☝️ <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>@ManUtd</a> regain top spot<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FULMUN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>#FULMUN</a> <a href="https://t.co/nZon0FpWem" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/nZon0FpWem</a></p>&mdash; Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1352018082341007368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It is going to be one hell of a Title race!