Mid-season Analysis: Liverpool on the Brink of Glory, Arsenal's Fading Aspirations & Man Utd's Relegation Struggle

New Delhi, Jan 1 (NationPress) As the 2024-25 Premier League season has reached its midway point and the January transfer window is now open, teams will be eager to make crucial adjustments to their squads over the next month to navigate the upcoming packed fixture list effectively.

Is the championship already decided?

With Manchester City experiencing their most challenging season under Pep Guardiola, the league finds itself in an unusual position. In previous campaigns, the Manchester squad has often been close to or at the helm of the league, but due to their current injury woes, the four-time reigning champions trail league leaders Liverpool by a significant 14 points.

At the beginning of the season, Liverpool was expected to undergo a transitional phase under new head coach Arne Slot. However, the Dutch manager has impressively lost only one of their first 18 matches. It's noteworthy that Liverpool has been the luckiest among title contenders regarding injuries. Key players like Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil Van Dijk have remained injury-free, unlike Arsenal, who have faced long absences from Martin Odegaard and recently saw Bukayo Saka suffer a torn hamstring, and Manchester City, whose midfield has been ravaged by injuries to Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne.

Despite Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca insisting his team is not in contention for the title and having dropped points in their last three league matches, this might hold some truth. Realistically, this leaves Arsenal as the only team capable of potentially challenging the Reds.

Can Arsenal finally break their title drought?

The Gunners, who narrowly missed out on the title last season by just one point, are contenders for the third consecutive year. They face a daunting challenge as they sit in third place, one game behind second-placed Nottingham Forest, and nine points adrift of Liverpool. Arsenal has struggled significantly in Odegaard's absence, relying heavily on set-piece tactics. Of the eight matches where they dropped points, four occurred during Odegaard's time away.

There's no denying that a fully fit Arsenal team is among the best in the league, as demonstrated in their emphatic 5-1 victory against Crystal Palace. However, replacing a player of Odegaard's caliber is a challenge. The question remains: Can Mikel Arteta adjust his tactics to compensate for the loss of their most effective attacking player?

Saka has contributed 15 goals/assists in 16 games this season and was leading the league in assists prior to his injury. Nevertheless, Arsenal still boasts one of the league's top defenses.

Will Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus step up to fill the gap, or will Arteta seek reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window?

Manchester United's relegation fight: A result of INEOS' influence?

Let's rewind to the 2023-24 season when Manchester United's main stakeholders at INEOS were pursuing Dan Ashworth for the position of sporting director. Despite resistance from Newcastle United, they successfully appointed him to Old Trafford. The Red Devils, who finished in eighth place last season, were on the verge of terminating Erik Ten Hag's contract over the summer, but a victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final led to reports that it was Ashworth who supported the Dutch manager and extended his deal.

Fast forward to the present, and both Ten Hag and Ashworth find themselves without jobs, while new head coach Ruben Amorim appears out of his depth. The list of issues facing the club seems to grow daily.

Amorim, who previously went 34 matches unbeaten with Sporting CP, now has suffered five losses in his first eight league games, leaving his team in 14th place. The coach acknowledges that his club is in a relegation battle, which may seem overly dramatic given the competition at the bottom of the table, but his comments reflect the concerning state of affairs at Carrington, with the club's prestige, fan support, and value declining.

It's expected that they will enter the transfer market seeking to bolster their squad, particularly in the wingback area, while balancing the need for long-term solutions against PSR regulations.

What lies ahead for Van Dijk, Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Liverpool's struggle to secure new contracts for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah, and Van Dijk could prove detrimental as they navigate the precarious January period. With the club's three star players entering the final six months of their contracts, foreign clubs can now approach them for pre-contract agreements that would allow them to depart at the end of the season.

Among the three, Alexander-Arnold appears most likely to leave. A report from The Athletic indicated that Real Madrid has already presented him with a four-and-a-half-year contract and a substantial signing bonus, with Trent reportedly close to accepting the deal.

Nonetheless, he insists that no discussions have occurred and he is not near a decision regarding his future.

Club captain Van Dijk is expected to renew his contract, having already begun negotiations with the club. Unlike Salah, Van Dijk has remained publicly optimistic, expressing his desire to continue at Liverpool.

Salah, on the other hand, is keen to remain at Anfield and is believed to be the highest-paid player at the club, earning approximately 300,000 pounds. Liverpool has traditionally refrained from overpaying players, fearing it may disrupt their financial structure.

However, with the Egyptian leading the league in both goals and assists, he may warrant significant investment. He recently mentioned that while initial discussions have commenced, both parties are still far from an agreement.