The 2018/19 season was by far one of the most successful for Liverpool in recent years. As a team who finished 2017/18 EPL season 4th, a whole 25 points behind Manchester City, the Reds produced a breath-taking improvement in the season that followed. Not only did Liverpool finish the 2018/19 EPL season with only 1 defeat and barely a point behind Manchester City, but the Reds also won their 6th UCL title, which made them the 3rd most successful team in the Champions League history. Seeing how good Liverpool was in 2018/19 season, the expectations have been set high for 2019/20 season, but where are those expectations and can Liverpool reach them?
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah during the Premier League match at Craven Cottage, London. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Before we jump into the 2019/20 season expectations for the Reds, let’s check out how exactly the 2018/19 season went for Klopp and his men.
Liverpool’s performance last season
The Premier League is where it all began for Liverpool, who entered the league as a top 6 team, but it did not take them long to establish themselves as a real threat to contest the title. That was a huge shock considering the team barely finished 4th last season and were now suddenly showing the qualities of EPL champions. As the days passed, Liverpool continued to perform on the highest level and it soon became obvious they will be a real threat for Manchester City and their 2nd consecutive title. Despite the fact Liverpool lost only 1 match throughout the whole EPL season, it was their streak of several draws that saw Liverpool drop down from no.1 spot just a few rounds before the season ended. Their inability to catch up to Manchester City resulted in a rather disappointing 2nd place finish, however, with 97 points to their name, their EPL campaign hardly felt like a failure.
As far as the cup competition goes, Liverpool did not perform as well as we would have hoped. Carabao Cup was never their priority, which is why it should not come off as a surprise they exited it rather early and the same can be said for FA Cup, where it was Wolves who knocked them out in round 3. Nonetheless, Liverpool did manage to shock the world by winning their 6th Champions League title following a disappointing finals exit last season, when Liverpool kneeled down to Real Madrid.
With the 3rd highest point tally in the EPL history and a Champions League title in 2018/19 season, what are the expectations for Liverpool in the upcoming season? Is it time for them to win the EPL or maybe even win the 7th UCL title?
What Liverpool can do this season?
There is no denying Liverpool looked very strong last season. The fact that they managed to compete with Man City for the EPL title and even won the most prestigious tournament in the world speaks volumes. Still, there is a question we need to answer of what do the Reds need to do to win the EPL next season? To be fair, the team does not have to do anything. Liverpool have proven to have a solid team of exceptional players who are more than capable of competing against the best teams in the world. With such a team there is simply no room for a change, which is something Klopp is well aware of, seeing how there are no significant new signings for Liverpool this summer transfer window. As it seems the Reds boss goes by the rule of “don’t fix it if it’s not broken” and quite frankly, that’s the best way to approach it. Yes, Liverpool did not manage to win the EPL last season, however, it was not because the team lacked good players. We have to remind ourselves Liverpool lost only 1 match in the EPL. Instead of defeats, it was one too many draws that prevented Liverpool from dethroning Man City, which to be fair does not mean team lacked quality, but rather lacked some luck in the final stages of the EPL.
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
So what can we expect from Liverpool the next season?
Anything less than a solid run for EPL title would be a disappointment. Proving how strong they can be, Liverpool can and surely will once again put up a solid fight for the title, hoping they can come ahead of Man City who bested them by a single point last season. As far as Carabao Cup and FA Cup go, we can’t expect much from Liverpool. Not because they are unable to win any of them, but because it’s rather obvious Klopp does not care too much for the two cups and rather focuses on the league and possibly on the UCL title. Which leaves us with the one last question of can Liverpool win the 2nd Champions League title in a row in 2019/20 season?
They have reached the finals twice in a row, which surely is a good sign for a possible 3rd consecutive appearance in the finals. However, when it comes to winning the UCL, it’s a rather known fact that the teams not only have to be good but also need to have some luck on their side to lift the UCL trophy. Getting paired with the right opponents in the group stage and playoffs matches can go a long way in keeping the players fresh for the finals, on the other side, any team can fall into a so-called “group of death” which could end their UCL dreams even before reaching the playoffs. All in all, Liverpool undoubtedly have the quality to win the UCL for the 7th time, but will they be “lucky” enough to have a smooth road to the finals is another question which has no correct answer.
