Liverpool are trying to stay calm even though they have an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
After winning their first eight gams of the PL campaign, Liverpool’s perfect record has seen them surge clear of second-place Manchester City.
However, when speaking to our partners Sky Sports ahead of Netherlands’ clash with Northern Ireland in Rotterdam on Thursday, Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum was cautious when it came to talk of winning the PL.
“We don’t want to think we are already champions. That would be a really wrong thing to do,” Wijnaldum said. “I’m sure the manager will keep us with our feet on the ground and say that we just have to think about ourselves, and try to play good and try to give 100 per cent every week.
“We just have to do what we did before and look at ourselves and not look too much to other teams because we don’t have influence on other teams – we can’t control the performance of other teams. We just have to make sure we are ready for the games that are to come and to make sure we are ready and try to have good results because we know that it can change quickly. Then at the end of the season we will see where we stand.”
After a 31-year wait to be crowned Champions of England, it’s easy to understand why there is plenty of unease around he Liverpool camp when it comes to talk of winning that elusive Premier League trophy.
That won’t stop pundits, and even fans, being ready to pop red ribbons on the Premier League trophy and make plans to be at Anfield for Liverpool’s final home game against Chelsea on May 9.
They’ve come close under Rafael Benitez, Brendan Rodgers and then Jurgen Klopp last season, and after having an eight-point lead at one stage last season they know how things can work out.
It is correct to be cautious, but we all know how much pressure will be building on Liverpool’s players throughout the season to get over the line this time, and it showed last season with costly draws against Leicester, West Ham and Everton the difference in the title race.
But with Man City’s defensive injuries pilling up, and Pep Guardiola‘s men putting in some indifferent displays early in the season, there is a growing sense that this is finally Liverpool’s season.
In truth, the Reds haven’t been at their best in over half of their opening eight games of the season. But they just keep finding ways o grind out wins and although Klopp will want performance levels to improve, winning 17-straight leads games (dating back to last season) and opening up with a perfect record so far is a start he could only dream of.
Next up for Liverpool: a trip to bitter rivals Manchester United on Oct. 20 (Watch live, 11:30 a.m. ET online via NBCSports.com) as Klopp’s side are the heavy favorites to prevail at Old Trafford.
Liverpool’s players are correct to try and calm things down after a sensational start to the season, but deep down they know this is surely the year they become even greater legends at Anfield.
“Since this is a small, deep-set muscle, the problems only occur at certain, very specific loads, which is why he was able to play and train for so long with problems. We will now give Josh’s injury time to properly heal, then he will get back to training in January.”
There are four more match days in the Bundesliga before the league goes on holiday break until mid-January.
We’ve got a brand new Top Five (well, in terms of the four behind eventual champions Liverpool) and two teams dipping to season lows on our ol’ litmus test.
Green: New season-high ranking Red: New season-low
20. Watford — As many losses as goals (9), and that figure is one more than the Hornets’ total points. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise to see them on the verge of full-time manager No. 3, as full-time manager of Watford is a bit more like seasonal help. Last week: 18
Season high: 17
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 3-0 v. Burnley
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Southampton
19. Everton — A top half team in terms of talent seeks the manager who can organize its way out of the drop zone. Might it be this guy? Better than the alternatives. Last week: 17
Season high: 5 Season low: 19
Last match: Lost 2-0 v. Norwich City
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Leicester City
18. Norwich City — The first team to 10 losses is four points shy of 17th. Last week: 16
Season high: 10
Season low: 20
Last match: Won 2-0 at Everton
Up next: 9 a.m. ET Sunday v. Arsenal
17. West Ham United — A gigantic ball of “blah.” Should thank Everton for existing so people aren’t more focused on this particular collection of currently squandered talent. Last week: 20
Season high: 5
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 3-2 v. Spurs
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Chelsea
16. Bournemouth — It’s just not good enough, is it? To have held onto Callum Wilson and get another step up in class from Philip Billing and still be so wildly inconsistent. Last week: 11
Season high: 6
Season low: 17
Last match: Lost 2-1 v. Wolves
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Spurs
15. Southampton — It really feels like the Danny Ings revival show could rival any story for the best individual one in the league this season. Happy to see Ralph Hasenhuttl get some good performances, as he was being scapegoated in a hurry. Last week: 19
Season high: 13
Season low: 20
Last match: Drew 2-2 at Arsenal
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday v. Watford
14. Aston Villa — Allowing a league-worst 18.8 shots per game, but staying in the mix thanks to Tom Heaton and Tyrone Mings. Last week: 13
Season high: 8
Season low: 15
Last match: Won 2-0 v. Newcastle United
Up next: 11 a.m. ET Sunday at Manchester United
13. Arsenal — The Gunners back line gets a lot of heat, and rightly so, but maybe a little help from the midfield would be nice considering Sokratis Papastathopoulos and David Luiz have combined for 39 blocks. Sokratis is third in the PL and Luiz fourth. Last week: 12
Season high: 4 Season low: 12
Last match: Drew 2-2 v. Southampton
Up next: 9 a.m. ET Sunday at Norwich City
12. Brighton and Hove Albion — First win ever away to Arsenal is another feather in the cap of Graham Potter, especially nice considering they had lost four on the bounce. Last week: 14
Season high: 6
Season low: 18
Last match: Lost 2-0 v. Leicester City
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Liverpool
11. Newcastle United — No one is punching above its weight more than Steve Bruce‘s Magpies, and they’ve been aided in a big way by Martin Dubravka. The Slovakian goalkeeper has a league-best 44 saves from shots inside the 18.
Also, according to Understat’s xG numbers, they should’ve lost to the Blades. In fat, the xG table says they should be dead last. Life’s funny like that. It’s Steve Bruce’s world and we’re living in it. Last week: 15 Season high: 11
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 2-0 at Aston Villa
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday v. Man City
10. Sheffield United — Just lost for the first time since September. That’s amazing. Last week: 6
Season high: 5
Season low: 17
Last match: Drew 3-3 v. Manchester United
Up next: 9 a.m. ET Sunday v. Wolves
9. Burnley — Striker Chris Wood has been credited with 12 “big chances missed” by Sofascore, more than any player in the league. Last week: 7
Season high: 5
Season low: 15
Last match: Won 3-0 at Watford
Up next: 10 a.m. Saturday v. Crystal Palace
8. Spurs — Jose Mourinho learned Wednesday that Moussa Sissoko is nice for the squad, but not to be leaned on. Last week: 9
Season high: 2
Season low: 16
Last match: Won 3-2 at West Ham United
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Bournemouth
7. Crystal Palace — WilfriedZaha‘s 68 dribbles are 13 more than anyone else in the league. Last week: 10
Season high: 5
Season low: 18
Last match: Lost 2-1 v. Liverpool
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Burnley
6. Manchester United — Ole had himself a moment in outfoxing Mourinho without Pogba or Martial. Last week: 8
Season high: 2
Season low: 16
Last match: Drew 3-3 at Sheffield United
Up next: 11:30 a.m. Sunday v. Aston Villa
5. Chelsea — We told you, Frank. WE TOLD YOU. Last week: 4
Season high: 2
Season low: 12
Last match: Lost 2-1 at Man City
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. West Ham United
4. Manchester City — Aymeric Laporte is still two months away and that’s two months too long. Last week: 2
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 2-1 v. Chelsea
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday at Newcastle United
3. Wolves — This is going to sound nuts, but there are days I’d rather see Liverpool on my schedule than Wolves. The Reds are obviously better weaponized, but Wolves come at you in waves, man, and Nuno Espirito Santo is doing it without his best center back. Last week: 5 Season high: 3 Season low: 17 Last match: Won 2-1 at Bournemouth Up next: 9 a.m. ET Sunday v. Sheffield United
2. Leicester City — How’s this for an unsustainable stat? Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira rank first and second in the league in tackles, with 67 and 62. Last week: 3 Season high: 2
Season low: 10
Last match: Won 2-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday v. Everton1. Liverpool — Big Virgil Van Dijk is on track to become the first Premier League player to complete 1000 passes this season, currently at 953. Last week: 1
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 2-1 at Crystal Palace
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Brighton and Hove Albion
NEW YORK (AP) Major League Soccer is breaking away from soccer’s tradition of having each team play every opponent in its league.
MLS is expanding to 26 teams in 2020 with the additions of Miami and Nashville but will keep a 34-game regular-season schedule. A team will play each of its 12 conference opponents home and away, and will face only 10 of the 13 teams in the other conference.
Nashville opens Feb. 29 at home against Atlanta and David Beckham’s Inter Miami starts March 1 at Los Angeles, the league said Thursday in announcing all home openers. Defending champion Seattle opens March 1 against Chicago.
Other Feb. 29 openers are Colorado at D.C., New England at Montreal, LA Galaxy at Houston, Toronto at San Jose, Philadelphia at Dallas, Salt Lake at Orlando and Kansas City at Vancouver. Games the following day include New York City at Columbus, Cincinnati at New York Red Bulls and Minnesota at Portland.
Home openers on March 7 are Chicago at New England, Red Bulls at Salt Lake, NYC at Toronto, Cincinnati at Atlanta, Houston at Kansas City, Orlando at Colorado and Vancouver at LA Galaxy. Four more home openers are set for March 14: Dallas at NYC, LA Galaxy at Miami, D.C. at Cincinnati and San Jose at Philadelphia.
The final home openers are Red Bulls at Minnesota on March 15 and Atlanta at Chicago on March 21 as the Fire return downtown to Soldier Field, their home from 1997-2005. The played in suburban Bridgeview from 2006 through last season.
