They often say that the Premier League is a difficult competition to win, but at the same time it is even more difficult to defend it and with Liverpool ending their 30-year journey to the promised land, the hunter has now become the hunted.
Now that Liverpool have the title-winning target on their back, the question is whether they can stay out of the firing line and with Manchester City looking to wrestle back possession of English football’s biggest prize, we could be set for another tussle through the length of the season.
That is at least the hope of neutrals not only up and down the country but in all corners of the Premier League’s global fandom and after being deprived anything resembling a title race last season, there is a sense that things could be a lot closer this time around.
Whether it is as close as the tail end of the 2018/19 campaign remains to be seen and with Liverpool missing out by just a point, they at least erased their own disappointment by going onto win the Champions League just weeks later.
Although if we consider that season as the start of the herculean efforts under Jurgen Klopp and fuse that together with what everyone witnessed just months ago, one does wonder if there is enough in the tank to do it all over again.
With a largely unchanged squad since 2018, it obviously suggests that Klopp is loyal to the players that have achieved so much for him and if there is going to be any transfer activity, the stance will be an evolution rather than revolution.
The evolution that at the time of writing has only come in the form of one major new arrival and with Greece’s Kostas Tsimikas joining the ranks at left-back, the former Olympiakos will at least provide Andrew Robertson with the opportunity to be rested and rotated.
With that said, is that business enough to keep the red machine from powering on or do we have to whisper quietly that Liverpool may have rested on their laurels. If we do suggest the latter, it is certainly a feeling the bookmakers have at present.
Looking at the outright market for the 2020/21 season on SportsbookReview, Liverpool is only behind Manchester City to win the Premier League and although only one team is above them, it is perhaps one too many at the same time.
Will the inability to land Timo Werner prove to be a hammer blow for the now defending champions, not only because a fourth attacking element could have been greatly utilised but also because Chelsea have now been strengthened at the same time.
Of course, that is not to denigrate the efforts of Divock Origi but there is perhaps a feeling that a club should always improve from a position of strength and with Liverpool being as strong as they can possibly be right now, there is a sense of opportunity missed.
At the same time, the club must be mindful of the midfield department also and with Gini Wijnaldum seemingly edging closer out of the Anfield exit door, they do run the risk of being weakened in the centre of the park.
With that said, there is scope for a potential upgrade and if Thiago Alcantara was to fill the void that could be left behind by the Dutch international, there would be very little in the way of complaints from such an ardent fanbase.
Ultimately, it now boils down as to whether the club as a whole and that includes the fans, are happy to settle with what they have recently earned or if they want to try and create a dynasty in a similar ilk to the 1970’s and 80’s.
No one can question that Liverpool’s last two seasons have been nothing short of imperious, as domination has been achieved on both domestic and continental fronts and with those now acting as a mere footnote in the club’s history, one wonders if this could be one season too many.
Will it be the last we see of the fearsome triumvirate of attackers? That may all depend on just how Liverpool perform and whether the likes of Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane feel that they have done all they can and need a new challenge.
While at the same time, that might be the feeling overall and one that suggests that Liverpool have done all they can for now and there is no new challenge. That in itself is no bad thing, but then again football never stands still and they will not want their rivals to subsequently pass them by.
