Liverpool’s resilience faces biggest test, Vardy threatens to deepen Arsenal’s gloom and a welcome dilemma for Newcastle
Apparently there is a game going on in Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Genk in midweek was very much a continuation of a theme – since mid-September they have also beaten Chelsea, Leicester, Tottenham and Aston Villa by the same scoreline, and they last won a league game by more than one goal at home to Newcastle on 14 September. In their last six league games they have a goal difference of only five, yet they have somehow converted that into a mathematically maximal 16 points. The day Liverpool beat Newcastle was also when Manchester City lost at Norwich, but since then the champions have thumped Watford 8-0, put three past Everton and Aston Villa and with the damaging exception of last month’s home defeat to Wolves looked gloriously untroubled. In their own past six games City have accumulated a goal difference of 14, but won only 15 points. Liverpool have often looked of late like a side desperate to lose but somehow unable to, and another demonstration of that kind of resilience on Sunday would give them a very significant advantage in the title chase. SB
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