Now that all the fuss and hullabaloo have died down after Liverpool having been surprisingly brought down to a humbling 3-0 away loss to Watford in the Premier League, it’s a good time as any to ponder the current Reds’ situation as they continue to push ahead to clinch their first League title in 30 years.
First off, their ‘Invincibles’ target has been shred to pieces after a most creditable run of 44 consecutive unbeaten matches. Still, a highly laudable achievement by any standards, short of that unprecedented and still unparalleled standard set by the Gunners’ with their truly incredible 49-match unbeaten run. But to crash out so appallingly at the feet of a team like Watford struggling from being relegated to Tier 2? That truly leaves one to ponder on the veneer of invincibility that cloaked the Merseyside boys for the amazingly successful run they’ve maintained so far this campaign.
Not only did they fail to fire in all departments as they slumped to this 3-0 defeat away to Watford – which by the way deserve a standing ovation for their stellar performance – the result brought the mighty Reds’ remarkable unbeaten run this season to a shockingly sharp end.
Put simply and crudely, Liverpool were thoroughly battered right from the very first minute until the end as Watford valiantly showed no signs of an inferiority complex against their esteemed opponents and Champions-elect but instead displayed a tremendous sense of togetherness and potency, laced with aggression, as they out-witted, outfought and outplayed mighty Liverpool whilst the giants tottered and stumbled.
To those with their eyes glued on the match, one bewildering thought must have loomed ominously in ther minds – was this really happening? How in heavens could a side that had clinched their last 18 league games and maintained a 22-point lead at the top of the table really be so utterly trounced into such humbling submission by opponents fighting desperately to avoid relegation? Unfortunately, they were and convincingly, too.
It is understandable and definitely acceptable that one of the greatest unbeaten streaks in the history of English football had to come to an end somewhere sometime, but it is indeed perhaps rueful that it came against a club who have been carrying the millstone of relegation around their neck and had been forced to sack two managers already this season. A development almost unreal.
The pervasive aura of invincibility that had all the while characterised Liverpool’s pursuit of the title throughout the campaign so far has suddenly dissipated. Still, despite Jürgen Klopp’s men having finally lost a Premier League game so shabbily, being no less than a total of 423 days since they last did so, the cloak of inevitability sits comfortably on their shoulders as the defeat only serves to temporarily delay his men from getting their well-deserved clutches on the League Cup with the mammoth 22 points lead they have at the top of the table.
All that’re needed are just four wins from the final 10 games to guarantee the title returning to the tranquil Merseyside.
Arsenal fans can finally breathe that huge sigh of relief that their Invincibles tag and record are still intact and untouched.
The Untouchables? Why not? Most probably, too.