If you were to ask the average football fan which Premier League side has the strongest squad in the division, there would be one clear answer, right? Man City. Next, moving on.
Funded by Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi United Group’s billions, Pep Guardiola’s side have been perceived to be the top-flight’s strongest for a number of seasons. Winning three of the last four Premier League titles, that is perhaps no surprise.
Boasting strength-in-depth galore, they were the club best-placed to navigate the coronavirus pandemic as a result and found themselves 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, and 14 points clear of Liverpool, as recently as January 15.
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But then Jurgen Klopp signed Luis Diaz from FC Porto and the Reds went on a nine-game winning run, decimating the points-gap to leave Liverpool just a point behind with nine games left to play in the process.
With a trip to the Etihad to come on April 10, the title-race is in Reds hands. Win all of their remaining games and Liverpool will be champions.
Having seen Gini Wijnaldum depart on a free transfer in the summer and decided not to replace him, Klopp’s squad had been perceived to not boast enough strength-in-depth to battle with City for the title, with the German issuing a heated response to critics when it was put to him he needed to sign a new midfielder back in the summer. Yes, they’d signed Ibrahima Konate to address the centre-back injury crisis that cost them so dearly last year, but they would surely still be left lacking come May.
Yet to date the evidence has suggested otherwise. With Liverpool’s squad remaining largely injury-free in recent weeks, Klopp’s options have never looked stronger following Diaz’s mid-season arrival. In contrast, scratch beneath the surface and it is the previously unassailable City who now appear to be short on numbers.
With the Colombia international now fully bedded in at Anfield, the Reds have utilised 27 different players in the Premier League so far this season. Deducting youngsters Tyler Morton and Kaide Gordon as well as Neco Williams, who left on loan in January, it leaves Klopp with 24 senior players to choose from as Liverpool continue to chase an unprecedented quadruple.
The Reds boast quality options nearly all over the park too, with Kelleher a more than capable reserve for Alisson, four strong options at centre-back, Kostas Tsimikas breathing down Andy Robertson’s neck at left-back, eight senior midfielders and seven senior forwards. As a result, it is only Williams’ temporary move to Fulham which leaves Liverpool light with regards to a natural back-up for Trent Alexander-Arnold - who ironically is now facing a short lay-off, described as 'weeks' by his manager, with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, a fully fit squad leaves Klopp having to leave out four senior players every Premier League matchday. The German has pointed out though that his numbers remain unchanged, with it being a case of one in, one out in January thanks to Diaz’s arrival.
In contrast, Guardiola has called upon the services of 25 different players in the Premier League so far this season. Yet deducting the sold Ferran Torres, youngsters Kayky, Cole Palmer, James McAtee and Liam Diap, as well as Benjamin Mendy, it leaves the Spaniard with just 19 senior players to select from.
Yet Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia were the only senior players to depart the Etihad in the summer, though Guardiola stills boasts four centre-backs despite the exit of his compatriot. However, admittedly the Argentine’s departure and City’s subsequent failure to sign Harry Kane would leave them without an out-and-out striker, with Torres’ mid-season exit depleting their options further.
Able to name a 20-man squad for Premier League matches, City’s strength-in-depth, this season at least, appears to have been exaggerated, with the £100m record-signing of Jack Grealish not plugging desired gaps. Up against Klopp's ranks, their supposed superiority has been uncloaked as just a misplaced myth.
The England international is one of four players capable of playing in Guardiola’s midfield and attack, with Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez along with Fernandinho, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan bolstering the options in each section of the pitch. As a result, there is plenty of quality there but it is perhaps not as varied as Liverpool’s own numbers with that attacking range starting to be the difference as the Reds close the gap.
While Klopp has seven forwards and eight midfielders battling it out for six positions in his Liverpool side, Guardiola has 10 to call upon to fill the same positions in his own ranks, with Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva doubling up to bolster options.
The Reds’ enhanced strength has perhaps been demonstrated best by a couple of ‘power-play’ substitutions from the German in recent matches. With things not going Liverpool's way at the San Siro, Klopp was able to throw on Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Diaz on the hour-mark, having already introduced Roberto Firmino at half-time, as his side clinched a late 2-0 win against Inter Milan.
Meanwhile it was a similar story against Arsenal on Wednesday night as Firmino and Mohamed Salah prepared to come on shortly after the restart, and were indeed introduced straight after Jota had fired them into a 1-0 lead.
A look at Liverpool’s most recent goals in the Premier League in their last three matches and you will see Firmino and Jota on the scoresheet against the Gunners, Diaz and Salah netting in the game before against Brighton and Sadio Mane scoring the winner in their last Anfield outing at home to West Ham. Klopp’s five first-choice strikers are all delivering and sharing the goals as he continues to rotate to protect tired legs as his side go in search of the quadruple.
Look beyond the league to all competitions and Takumi Minamino extends the Reds forwards’ run further, having scored both goals against Norwich City in the FA Cup, with the added competition certainly benefiting the Liverpool squad. With Nottingham Forest away next up in the FA Cup, Divock Origi will surely be looking to complete the set.
The three leading goalscorers in the Premier League, Salah, Jota and Mane lead the way for Klopp’s men with 28, 18 and 14 goals in all competitions so far this season, with Firmino and Minamino next up in their own ranks with nine goals apiece. Meanwhile, Origi has five goals from just 14 appearances (five starts), with Diaz currently on two goals following his January move.
In contrast, Mahrez is City’s leading goalscorer with 21 goals in all competitions, though only 10 of those have come in the Premier League, with Sterling second on 13. De Bruyne, Foden and Silva are joint-third with 10 goals apiece, while Jesus boasts six goals and Grealish just four.
Guardiola’s squad remains one of the best around but City’s failure to replace Aguero currently looks costly, with their reported desire to sign Erling Haaland an admission that more will be needed next season if they wish to hold off Liverpool.
In the meantime, the Reds have emerged from under the radar to pounce and reverse the narrative regarding their squad depth once and for all. Klopp’s summer faith in his players has never looked more justified.
