The Champions of Europe and arguably one of the most exciting football teams on the planet at the moment, Liverpool are gearing up for yet another season of the Premier League.
They kick off their domestic campaign against Norwich City this Friday, but Jurgen Klopp has other competitions to look forward to, ahead of the new season.
The Reds will play in the Premier League, the Champions League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup this season. These extra fixtures are surely going to take a toll on the squad at Anfield.
But can Liverpool lift the elusive Premier League title this season? Can they win all the six competitions they are a part of? Here is the season preview for the 2019-20 campaign for the Reds:
Summer Transfers:
After lifting their first trophy in more than five years, Liverpool were expected to make big moves in the transfer market this summer but young Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg have been the only additions (h/t Transfermarkt) to the squad so far.
Klopp has both the players training with the senior side but it is hard to see either make too many appearances in the first team in the major competitions this season.
Liverpool also allowed the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno to leave while replacing Simon Mignolet with Adrian on a free transfer. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Though they have lost first-team stars, Liverpool are as strong as they were last season, if not stronger.
The Reds have Naby Keita brimming to take on the Premier League after a season of initiation while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back from a long-term injury and is almost like a new member in the squad.
Liverpool will also hope young Rhian Brewster can live up to the expectations while also hoping that Adam Lallana can put his injuries behind him this season.
They do suffer from lack of backups at left-back and the left-wing but Klopp seems determined to only add players who fit into his system and is ready to wait for the right player, even beyond this summer.
So though their transfer window was not too exciting, Liverpool’s squad is still capable of competing for the league title with Manchester City.
Key Players:
With six competitions on the line, Klopp will hope that he can depend on all his star players to come up with the goods when needed.
Mohamed Salah, beyond doubt, will be the major threat for any side that faces Liverpool but Sadio Mane and the full-backs at the club will need to be kept quiet to have a shot at beating the Reds.
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson will be hard to beat at the back while Joe Gomez will look to continue the form he showed at the start of the last season, before picking up an injury.
Fabinho in the no.6 role and Naby Keita in an advanced role are both exciting prospects and could be crucial to Liverpool’s chances this season.
Oxlade-Chamberlain will have to add impetus from the midfield but like last season and the season before that, Liverpool’s front three will be the key to their chances at glory.
What Can They Achieve?
The Reds face Chelsea in the Super Cup final next week and will want a victory in that high-profile game. That could be their first trophy this season, for which they are already favourites.
But the Reds will have to be at their best in every game to have a shot at derailing a Manchester City side, that has only grown stronger this summer.
Klopp will need to turn those draws into wins and will have to be more ruthless against a few sides that managed to pick points off of the Reds last season.
The Champions League will still be a possibility, as Liverpool are yet to lose a two-legged European tie under Klopp. They will look to keep that record intact, while also planning their route to the domestic trophy.
But this could mean that Klopp will once again take the domestic cups competitions, not so seriously. The Reds have youngsters who will wait for their chances in games like these but it is hard to see the manager use his first team for any of the cup competitions in England.
The FIFA Club World Cup is another prestigious tournament that Liverpool are yet to win. So Klopp should use his strongest side to try and emerge victorious there.
So the Reds will believe that they have a shot at winning more than two trophies this season.
