Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge isn’t worried about Arsenal in this season’s Premier League title race. Instead, it’s the Reds themselves that have him concerned.
Arne Slot’s side is well positioned to claim this season’s crown, sitting six points ahead of the Gunners with a game in hand still. It already looks to be a two-horse race at this point, with Chelsea and Manchester City 13 and 15 points off the pace, while Nottingham Forest - who sits nine points off Liverpool - won’t be expected to keep up their remarkable pace.
At this point then, it is the Reds’ title to lose. With games coming thick and fast though, and Liverpool still in the hunt for four trophies, Slot will have a difficult balancing act to strike over the next few months.
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Still with just one league defeat to their name, the Reds show little sign of slowing down, having overcome what was seen as a difficult hurdle in Bournemouth at the weekend. And while Aldridge isn’t worrying about Arsenal, he knows a slip in form could make things difficult for Liverpool.
“It’s not about Arsenal, Man City or whoever in the title-race now - it’s about ourselves,” Aldridge wrote in his column for the ECHO. “People say to me, ‘Who are you worried about?’ I’m worried about Liverpool.
“Whether we go through a bad run or whatever. We don’t need to worry about Arsenal, only worry about ourselves. We just need to keep on going, keep on doing what we’re doing and try to get even better if we can, taking every game as it comes.
“If we win the game in hand and can beat Arsenal at home, they could go a long way to make sure we’re there at the end of the season.”
Aldridge added: “There are big games coming up, massive games. We know that. Tottenham, we want to get through to a final again. We love going to Wembley, it’s our second home.
“We’ve probably been to Wembley more times than any other club over the years. We need to overturn that 1-0 deficit. It’ll be interesting to see what team Arne puts out, that will be the interesting part.
“I think he’ll put a really strong side out to win the game before rotating for the Plymouth game. I’m looking forward to Thursday, it should be a good game, under the lights and in front of our fans.”
Liverpool.com says: Aldridge is right in that Liverpool should just focus on themselves. With the Gunners not scheduled to come to Anfield until May, the Reds could make that game a total irrelevance by getting the title wrapped up beforehand.
The next few weeks will be crucial with that game in hand and the trip to City. Keep on winning those games, and Liverpool will be well on course for the title.
