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.
