Live

LIVE: OTB Breakfast

07:30 AM-10:00 AM

LIVE: OTB Breakfast
Advertisement
Soccer

Sunday Night Takeaways: Liverpool lose more than three points, Arsenal intent on keeping the title race interesting

It was not the most memorable Sunday of football on record but there was plenty to talk about aft...



Sunday Night Takeaways: Liverp...
Soccer

Sunday Night Takeaways: Liverpool lose more than three points, Arsenal intent on keeping the title race interesting

It was not the most memorable Sunday of football on record but there was plenty to talk about after Manchester United travelled to Anfield and took three points from Liverpool and Arsenal failed to capitalise on Leicester's draw with Aston Villa on Saturday night. 

Here are the takeaways from Sunday's action.

Klopp and Liverpool destined for a frustrating summer if they don't make top four

It is too early to decry the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as a mistake but there is certainly a disconnect between the team he inherited and the style of football he encourages his team to play from what we have seen so far. 

It could take up to and including the next two transfer windows for the German to build a team that he can call his own but with defeat at home to Manchester United they have relegated themselves to also-rans in the chase for a Champions League spot. They are currently eight points behind Tottenham Hotspur and have been blowing hot and cold so often lately that a place in Europe's elite competition would be a miracle at this stage.

It seem, now, that Klopp and the board of directors are faced with the dilemma of trying to attract top footballers to the club without playing in the top competitions and competing at the upper end of their own league. 

The former Borussia Dortmund manager urged Liverpool and its fans to forget about money and claimed the remedy to their problem was simply in their minds, if they were willing to work hard enough. It is becoming apparent, however, that Klopp and the squad of players he has to pick from are stylistically miles apart. If they were a rock n'roll band, they would have disbanded already citing "artistic differences" as their reason. 

We will have to wait until the summer to figure out what way Klopp wants to approach the problem but not playing in the Champions League will turn many potential signings off. It's a catch-22 that Liverpool have found themselves in and moving on as many players as they can and as quickly as they can should be the modus operandi for this window and the next two windows.

Arsenal are doubting themselves while Leicester can't believe their luck

Chelsea forfeited their Premier League title after just weeks of the league kicking back into action in August of last year. There doesn't seem to be an obvious successor to their crown, however, as both Arsenal and Leicester continue to fire blanks when handed opportunities to take the wheel.

Leicester were punished for not taking chances early against Aston Villa on Saturday night but Arsenal were under the cosh for much of the game against Stoke City on Sunday afternoon when a win would have sent them two points clear at the top of the league as the difficult January period draws closer to an end. 

Arsenal face Chelsea next Sunday and then host Southampton before travelling to a resurgent Bournemouth in their next three games. They play Leicester after that with the possibility of the winner of that competition being the winner of the league.

Manchester City are slowly but surely rolling along without much ado about their title hopes. The slightest of slips from either Leicester or Arsenal will give Man City a chance and based on the fact that most of the squad have won Premier League titles in the recent past mean they could have what is required to finish off the title race if given that chance.

It doesn't seem Arsenal or Leicester know how to and that could prove critical when May comes along.

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

Soccer