UEFA’s recent draw for the Europa League last-16 has provided Liverpool with a significant advantage in the Premier League title race. On Wednesday, Liverpool showcased their dominance in the Premier League by securing a commanding 4-1 victory over Luton Town at Anfield.
Despite an early lead from Luton through Chiedozie Ogbene, Liverpool rallied to secure a convincing win, with goals from Virgil Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Harvey Elliott.
This victory has propelled Liverpool four points clear in the Premier League title race, albeit having played one more game than their closest rivals, Manchester City and Arsenal.
Liverpool’s quest for a second Premier League title under Jürgen Klopp has received a significant boost following the Europa League draw.
The Reds were drawn against Sparta Prague in the last-16 of the Europa League, a matchup that Klopp will likely view favorably compared to other potential opponents. While facing Qarabag might have been perceived as an easier draw, Liverpool has been spared a lengthy journey to Azerbaijan, which would have been scheduled just before a crucial clash with Manchester City.
Furthermore, Liverpool has dodged potentially challenging matchups against formidable opponents such as AC Milan, Benfica, Sporting CP, and Roma.
However, Liverpool’s title aspirations face challenges due to their extensive injury list.
Speaking ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, Pep Lijnders provided updates on the injured players, noting Alisson Becker’s muscle injury, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s LCL injury, Diogo Jota’s medial ligament injury, and Curtis Jones’ high ankle sprain. Lijnders indicated that Curtis Jones could be the first to return around the international break, while the others are expected to return afterward.
The availability of players like Dom Szoboszlai, Darwin Núñez, and Mohamed Salah remains uncertain, pending further assessment in the coming days.
