Regardless of what happened against Arsenal today, Liverpool was always going to make it to Christmas as a genuine title contender. Of course, there is a certain allure to topping the tree on December 25, but Jürgen Klopp made it clear before the game that it was far too early in the season to be talking about six-pointers.
The halfway mark in the season officially comes on Boxing Day, when Liverpool will have played everybody once after taking on Burnley. To even be in and among the leading pack after a full round of fixtures shows the huge progress Klopp has overseen in a short space of time — and the focus will soon turn to January, to see if FSG makes any additions to help support a potentially four-pronged push for silverware.
Liverpool will take on Fulham over two legs in the League Cup semi-final next month, with Chelsea or Middlesbrough awaiting in the final. The FA Cup gets off to the trickiest possible start, with another match against Arsenal, while the Europa League doesn’t return until March — with Klopp having successfully avoided the playoff round.
But the league remains the biggest target of all. And as Liverpool weighs up whether to enter the transfer market, its rivals could be making moves too, with at least two potential challengers linked with some activity recently. That includes a possible surprise Premier League return for Timo Werner.
Arsenal chases ‘new Sergio Busquets’
Many believe that if Arsenal goes on to win the title, Declan Rice will have made the decisive difference. Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta is preoccupied with the long-term future of the defensive midfield role at the Emirates.
Perhaps he ultimately sees Rice higher up the pitch. Or maybe he just wants the luxury of cover, with the futures of Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny all up in the air.
Either way, football.london reports that Arsenal has considered multiple targets for the role, with Martín Zubimendi very much a person of interest. The Real Sociedad midfielder has been courted by Barcelona as the long-term heir to Sergio Busquets.
However, Zubimendi has repeatedly rejected those overtures. He has claimed he would rather inherit the shirt of Asier Illarramendi than Busquets, underlining his fealty to the Basque club. Perhaps unsurprisingly, therefore, it is considered ‘unlikely’ that he would want to leave in January, despite the presence of a release clause in his contract.
Aston Villa ‘wants Timo Werner’
Aston Villa faltered at home for the first time all season yesterday, needing a late goal just to rescue a draw against Sheffield United. As a result, it missed the chance to go top of the table.
However, it would be rash to mark this down as the beginning of the end. A team does not spend half a season at the business end of the Premier League table by accident, and Unai Emery’s side still deserve to be considered credible title challengers for the time being.
Firepower has not been a problem for Villa. Nevertheless, according to Football Insider, Emery wants to bolster his options, and is looking at a loan deal for RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
The intention is to acquire an understudy for Ollie Watkins, with Kelechi Iheanacho also mentioned. A ‘superstar signing’ in that position would then be targeted in the summer.
