Liverpool have effectively won the Premier League title race and their controlled performances will almost certainly get them over the line, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.
Arne Slot's side will take on Southampton in the top flight on Saturday, and the Dutchman's team will be seen as clear favourites to claim all three points given the Saints are last with just nine points.
The Merseysiders beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield on February 26 in their most recent Premier League outing, and the result meant they moved 13 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
Lynch was keen to praise Liverpool's performance against the Magpies, and insisted that such displays have only strengthened his confidence that they have all but won the title, telling Sports Mole: "What we saw against Newcastle - they tore them apart in terms of creating chances, and Liverpool had opportunities to make it more than 2-0, but they also kept a clean sheet and did not give up any opportunities at all.
"Really good way to end that difficult run, and if you combine that with dropped points from Arsenal as well, and it's just been a period that, for me, Liverpool have won the Premier League title."
Arsenal drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest on the same day Liverpool beat Newcastle, and though the Gunners have a game in hand, it would be surprising if the Reds dropped enough points to allow the Londoners to capitalise.
Liverpool survive difficult period unscathed
In their last five Premier League games, Liverpool faced Everton, Aston Villa and Manchester City away from home, as well as Newcastle and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.
Though some fans were fearful that the Reds would drop numerous points in that period, Slot's side emerged from that run undefeated, winning on three occasions.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch praised the team for proving their title credentials having navigated such a difficult schedule, saying: "[Liverpool] didn't play well at Everton, so probably deserved the point they got. Didn't play particularly well in the second half against Wolves, and it was a really nervous one.
"Then there was the Villa game where obviously they could have lost it at the end, gave up a couple of goals as well. They came out of that run with a few question marks, and then what came after that was the Manchester City performance, which was extremely dominant in terms of the way that they defended when they went 2-0, completely controlled. They didn't look under threat at all.
"I liked that scoreline [against Newcastle] because it says a lot about the control they've exerted in the game, and it was absolutely the right scoreline and absolutely lined up with the performance we saw, which was extremely dominant."
Liverpool had failed to keep a clean sheet in the three games leading up to their victories against Manchester City and Newcastle and had looked vulnerable at the back, but they have since rediscovered their defensive prowess.
© Imago
Can Liverpool be caught?
The Reds currently have 67 points and need to collect an additional 21 points from a possible 30 to confirm their status as champions given Arsenal can only total 87.
Liverpool have only lost once in the Premier League this season, and five of their next six games come against sides in the bottom eight.
Despite the Merseysiders having drawn four of their past 10 fixtures in the league, Lynch believes that the Reds have answered most of the questions asked of them and will go on to win the title.
Lynch told Sports Mole: "It was interesting because prior to the City game Liverpool had been on a little tough run, hadn't they? It felt a bit like a wobble in terms of some of the results, and the performances were a little bit patchy.
"The big question then was could they put it all together and put on a performance that is as good on one side of the ball as it is the other, and one that we hadn't seen from them for a while, which is a really complete performance."
It should also be noted that the winning points total will likely not need to be as high as 88 points given Arsenal have lost one and drawn one of their two most recent outings, and the Gunners face difficult tests against Manchester United and Chelsea in their next two.
Lewis Nolan
