Is Mo Salah enough to make Liverpool title challengers?

Not even half way through the season Egyptian star Mo Salah is heaping praise for the remarkable start he has made at Liverpool. However, not many people foresaw the impact he was going to make when he made the move from Roma in the summer.

In fact there have been serious doubts about a player who ‘failed at Chelsea’.

This presumptuous notion, previously disproved by Kevin De Bruyne, has been proved wrong once again. If you are a good player in another league there is no reason why you can’t also be good in the Premier League given you have a team who plays to your strengths and a manager who knows where and how to use you.

Salah’s stints at Fiorentina and Roma showed what a talented player he was. That is being replicated in England.

Now that we have gotten the myth about EPL being hard and impossible away, let’s look at the bigger picture: Is Salah enough to propel Liverpool to the league title?

Many people are already crowning Man City champions. Pep Guardiola’s troops however are far from invincible.

The Citizens had to dig deep to come away with 3 points in their last two games against Huddersfield and Southampton. The busy Christmas schedule won’t be forgiving for a Man City side who already have injury problems, despite not enduring any setback as a result of that until now.

The real question here is if there is a team who can be consistent enough to take advantage when/if Man City go through a rough patch.

So we turn our attention back the Reds. After their 4-1 loss to Tottenham, Liverpool have responded well. Salah, who has 12 goals in the league and 17 in total, being a core part.

But as usual Liverpool’s defense and to some extent the midfield still have problems. The fact that they surrendered a 3-0 lead at Sevilla to only come away with a point and that they were unable to hold on to their lead against Chelsea at Anfield puts a dent on their title credentials.

Liverpool’s front line not only has quality but also depth. But neither applies to the defense.

Klopp has been lauded for securing Salah and slated for not signing a world class defender. Perhaps Liverpool could’ve ‘done with the money Barcelona were willing to pay for Coutinho. They would have been able to strengthen the squad in every position.

Even though Salah’s form is a reason to be optimistic the stuttering defense is a reason for despair.

And this isn’t the first time Liverpool endured a set back because of their defense. Luis Suarez was Liverpool’s main man when they challenged for the league title in 2013/14.

Defensive frailties however meant that the Reds weren’t able to cross the finish line. It looks like Liverpool will be made to rue their unwillingness to invest in defenders come the end of the season.

Attack wins you games. Defense wins you titles.

 

Written by Brook Genene

Follow Brook on Twitter @brookge

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