Liverpool FC reached the top of the table last Saturday, before yielding the penthouse suite to Chelsea FC the next day. Liverpool dropped a couple points last weekend and it cost them as Chelsea is about as red hot as club in the world right now. The Reds still remain in prime title contention though.
The latest odds, according to Sky Bet, still have Manchester City the title favorite, as they have been since the preseason.
Cit are currently at 7/4, with Chelsea right behind them at 9/4. Liverpool has spent a decent amount of time in the second odds position this year, but now they’re third at 3/1, Arsenal are fourth at 15/2.
Liverpool have a right to dream about a title, and the team’s best player, arguably, Philippe Coutinho, is doing just that.
“That’s obviously the dream, and that’s what we’ve got to do,” Coutinho said as he revealed his title dreams in an interview with Sky Sports. “We have to dream it.”
With no European football this season, Liverpool, as well as Chelsea, can focus on domestic competition only in 2016-17. This is advantageous, as Coutinho points out.
“There’s definitely more time now to work on our tactics in training and for the coach to get to know us,” the Brazilian said. “I like the tactical training we are doing. But yes, there is a lot of it.”
“He is teaching us to press when we don’t have the ball and keeping that pressure up. Then we have to keep possession when we do have the ball. It’s about putting that mentality into us.
“It’s all about the confidence and the mentality that the coach has given us. This used to be a team that didn’t really believe in itself. Now the players feel more comfortable and this comes from the coach. That’s something that’s reflected on the pitch and in the results.”
Liverpool, who take on Sunderland Saturday, have won a league title since 1991, but finished runner-up in 2013-14. Coutinho has five goals and five assists in 12 Premier League games this season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.