Richard Keys can’t fathom what he’s seen happen to Liverpool – ‘Why is that?’
Richard Keys has been left bewildered after Liverpool beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday.
The Reds are 15 points clear at the summit after Arsenal failed to beat Manchester United on Sunday (9 March).
Arne Slot‘s side need just 16 points from their final nine matches to guarantee a 20th league title with the Gunners only able to reach a maximum of 85 points.
Liverpool have no competitor in Premier League title race
BeIN SPORTS pundit Keys has admitted that he is baffled by the lack of competition that the Reds have faced this season as they look set to win the title.
In his weekly blog (10 March), he questioned the lack of quality at the top and why Slot’s side have been allowed such a comfortable margin by the other contenders.
He said: “There simply isn’t a challenge. There hasn’t been a genuine challenger to Arne Slot’s team all season. That’s why I’ve said – time and again – I don’t know how good this Liverpool side is.
“Look. They’re top and deserve to be so. They’ve won it because they’ve been better than the rest. But there hasn’t really been a ‘rest’. There hasn’t been a test.
“It’s the lack of a challenge to Liverpool in the league I can’t fathom. Why is that? They’ve all gone backwards – including Arsenal. I happen to think if Arteta’s side had simply been as good as they were last season they’d have won the title. But they haven’t been.”
Slot deserves credit for Premier League dominance
To simply put it down to the opposition, especially the Gunners, being poor is incredibly disrespectful to what Slot has achieved so far in his maiden season on English shores.
Arsenal may have been better if they had brought in a number nine in January but they were already lacking behind the Merseysiders and Jurgen Klopp had them in title contention last season until injuries took their toll.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 29 | +42 | 70 |
| 2. Arsenal | 28 | +55 | 55 |
The Dutchman could end up winning a historic treble, which would arguably be the greatest first season from a manager in the history of the game.
Liverpool have been better than the rest, it is as simple as that, they have only lost one league match all season, the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest (14 September).
The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have been in sensational form and the focus on the other contenders being poor is taking away from their immense performances, as well as Slot’s.
Keys should just recognise the L4 outfit for being miles better than the rest, rather than diminishing their campaign to luck because other teams were not at the races.
With the right recruitment in the summer, the Reds could win the league at a canter again and show the pundit that he was wrong.