It’s fair to say you know where to place your bets in regard to the Premier League title race with Liverpool about to end their painful wait for glory. It’s not the fact they’ll be Champions that is impressive rather than the manner in which they’re cruising towards the famous trophy.
The Reds are on course to shatter British records with one in particular causing a stir amongst soccer fans everywhere; will they go the season unbeaten? Only one team has managed the feat in England, which was Arsenal back in 2004 and here we look at how the two teams measure up.
Goalkeepers
In Alisson Becker, Liverpool have probably the best keeper on the planet at this moment in time and his arrival to replace Loris Karius has proved pivotal to the success Liverpool are having. Yes, Adrian filled in without tasting defeat earlier in the season, but the team didn’t look nearly as solid.
Of course, Gunners goalie Jens Lehmann wasn’t half bad either, but he did have his erratic moments and that gives ultra cool Alisson the edge.
Defense
The back four is an easy selection in our minds. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a revelation since breaking into the side and this season alone he’s been directly involved in 12 goals (10 assists and two goals), which is simply remarkable for a defender.
On the other side of defence, Andrew Robertson has developed into a fine attacking full back with his attacking stats surpassing nearly every other defender in the Premier League over the past two seasons – the exception being TAA – unfortunately for him, he’s up against quite possibly the best left back soccer has ever seen in Ashley Cole.
During his career Cole won a total of 13 honours and was the only person who seemed to have Cristiano Ronaldo’s number when the two faced off.
The centre half pairing is one from each side as well. Virgil Van Dijk doesn’t really need much said to justify his place; he’s simply a Rolls Royce of a player and can do everything and anything without so much as breaking a sweat. In addition to his ability though his presence and leadership have been critical to Liverpool and he’s probably the one irreplaceable cog in an otherwise perfect machine.
Alongside the Dutchman is Sol Campbell. Campbell was a rock-solid centre half who could play as well and, like Van Dijk, his aura was enough to get the better of attackers before a ball was even kicked and he epitomises everything that Arsenal lack nowadays.
Midfield
It’s a funny old world, when Jordan Henderson signed for Liverpool in a £20m deal from Sunderland the move was frowned upon and it took the England international a long time to convince of his ability to step up. Now though he’s the driving force of a team that’s European Champion, World Champion and Premier League Champion in waiting.
Next up we have a toss up between two Brazilians in Gilberto Silva and Fabinho. We’ve leant towards Silva, who was a lynchpin of the Arsenal side with his selflessness and consistency, which gave more creative players the opportunity to shine. Now that’s just two midfielders and we need three but there is no prize for guessing our final man – Patrick Vieira.
Vieira is often remembered for his full throttle encounters with Roy Keane but, whilst a physical dominance was part of his game, he was the engine room of the Gunners, protected them, probed forwards and scored goals and is a shoo-in to our makeshift XI.
Running Verdict: Liverpool 4-5
Forwards
With three places up for grabs and five world class attackers in the mix this is the toughest part of the team to decide. Thierry Henry is a must; he’s not only Arsenal’s all time record scorer with 228 strikes to his name but the greatest import into the English game. Henry had it all, tricks, finishing and pace that would leave the best defenders quaking in their boots.
From the Liverpool line-up Mo Salah makes the cut too. Salah failed to make the grade at Chelsea but since signing for Jurgen Klopp’s men he’s notched 89 goals and laid on a further 38 for his teammates.
That brings us to our final – and most difficult – selection; Dennis Bergkamp or Roberto Firmino? They aren’t as prolific as the duo we’ve just named but they both have the magical touch to wow supporters and create opportunities out of nothing.
Bergkamp has been responsible for some of the most iconic moments in Premier League history, such as his goal against Newcastle, but Arsenal proved there was life after Bergkamp and, in this moment, we’re not convinced Liverpool would manage to do the same if their smiling Brazilian walked away from Anfield and that’s why he gets the nod.
There you have it, a look at where the Liverpool team of today would cross over with the Invincibles of 2004. Not too shabby, hey? What is your take? And if you are looking for the best app to place your bets on the Premier League visit BestAppBet.com.
