Liverpool, same again?

Midway through last season, Liverpool was leading Manchester City with seven points and they had an opportunity to increase the lead to 10 points. All they had to do was win their next game. Coincidentally, the next match was against Manchester City. The Citizens went into the game like demons and they succeeded in defeating Liverpool, effectively cutting the gap to a more manageable four points.

This season, Liverpool started brightly, not dropping any points and they swiftly went eight points ahead of their closest rivals. Then they met Manchester United last weekend and failed to win. The 1-1 draw with the old enemy cut their lead to six points.

Are we seeing a repeat of last season where Liverpool got their feet through the door first only to wobble in the crucial moments and allow City to pull them back and shut the door on their face?

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This weekend is likely to give us a clearer picture of what is coming next. City host Aston Villa on Saturday, 24 hours before Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur. If City defeats Villa as expected, they will cut the lead to three points. This is likely to put added pressure on Liverpool and they will know they can’t afford to drop any points against Spurs.

Spurs have been going through a mini-crisis of their own, trying to rediscover last season’s form that led them to champion’s league finals where they lost to Liverpool.

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No one seems to know the cause of the blip, everyone has their own theories. Some people believe it is because the new players have not got used to life in the Premier League while others believe it has to do with the uncertainties surrounding key players’ contracts and future at White Hart Lane.

Whatever it is, one thing is certain, Mauricio Pochettino and his boys need to up their game when they visit Anfield on Sunday otherwise they could be in for a disastrous result. They have already been disgraced by Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season and another heavy defeat could finally break what’s left of the players’ confidence and they may end the season not even making top six.

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However, if Spurs decide to come to play and give Liverpool a proper match, it can only be good news for Pep Guardiola and his boys. The city will be hoping that they reduce the gap to three points or less by the time they host Liverpool next month. If this happens, you can be sure they match up at the Etihad will be one of the games of the season. The question will then be whether Liverpool has enough cojones to escape from the Etihad without defeat. Before then though, there is the little issue of the Kop seeing off the threat as presented by Spurs at Anfield on Sunday.