LAURA WOODS: LIVERPOOL TOO GOOD TO PANIC
NO NEED TO PANIC FOR LIVERPOOL
I don’t think it’s panic stations yet for Liverpool – it only takes a couple of good results and things look much better. You just look at Manchester City a few seasons ago who started really slowly and then went something like 20 games unbeaten.
A good run is never too far away for these top teams.
It’s so early to call anything in the Premier League and it looks to me as if they are just taking a little bit longer than planned to understand each other. There are a lot of new players in that squad and it takes time to gel.
The last couple of performances haven’t been great but they are still top of the league and as I said, it won’t take them long to find their feet.
If Hugo Ekitike isn’t fit for the Chelsea game then that gives a chance for Alexander Isak and I wonder if that might be just what he needs to really kick things into top gear.
Alexander Isak to win the Premier League Golden Boot is 20/1 with BetMGM
LIVERPOOL LOOK SHORT AT THE BACK
A lot of new players have come through the door at Liverpool and it takes time for them all to figure out how they play alongside each other, but I do think they look worse defensively so perhaps it’s not reinforcing that area that’s the biggest concern.
Every title-winning team is built on a rock-solid defence and this Liverpool side do look shaky at the back at the moment.
They’ve got so much attacking talent going forward which obviously hasn’t quite clicked yet and while I expect it to do so, I think the question is did they need quite as much up the top end of the pitch when they are so light at the back?
I think now you need two top-class players in every position and I’m not sure Liverpool have that.
WIRTZ WILL COME GOOD
Every season there is a player like Florian Wirtz who costs huge amounts of money and struggles to begin with to show what they are really capable of.
I don’t see Wirtz not doing amazing things at Liverpool – he’s such a talent and people forget he’s only 22.
Maybe he needs a bit of time out of the team, but he’s come into a new league in a new country and it just doesn’t always come off straight away.
POTTER HAD TO GO
I think West Ham had to move on from Graham Potter, it just wasn’t working. I have a lot of respect for West Ham and their fans and for me they deserve better than they’ve been getting.
The recruitment over the last couple of seasons hasn’t been good enough and the performances on the pitch have suffered.
I’m not sure why but Potter seems to have really struggled since leaving Brighton where he did such a good job. I like him but I think you have to question some of his in-game decisions and I wasn’t surprised the West Ham board made the decision as things clearly weren’t improving.
ARSENAL’S FOOTBALL COMING GOOD
I must admit to being a little frustrated that Arsenal couldn’t kill the game off against Olympiacos on Wednesday night as that’s a trait the good teams possess. However, I was really encouraged with the way they played, particularly how quickly they moved the ball forward.
I know I’m biased, but you look at the team and it’s hard not to be blown away by how much strength in depth they have. I really do think they need to go and win a big trophy now, the squad is too good and too strong not to.
It would be unjust for such a richly talented squad not to win something – I would be pretty shocked if they didn’t.
GOLDEN GOALS MATCHDAY 7 SELECTIONS
Here’s what I’m thinking for the latest Golden Goals round:
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You can find out more about Golden Goals and play along here.
Golden Goals Terms & Conditions
Opt in & predict 6 correct scores (see game lobby for weekly tournament cut-off time) to win up to £250k jackpot. Predict 2+ correct scores and win a prize (ranging from Free Bets to £5k Prizepool). Winnings shared evenly in case of multiple winners. Each prize subject to its own terms. Void if 1 or more matches postponed/abandoned or not completed. Verification procedures apply. 18+. T&Cs and exclusions apply.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
