Liverpool Late Show Helps Club Maintain Top Spot in Premier League
Winning when not at your best is the hallmark of champions, as the saying goes.
It is something that Liverpool has never quite been able to do in the Premier League era, until now, which is why the club has been waiting for a first title since last finishing top of the old First Division way back in 1990.
Liverpool has opened up a six-point lead over Manchester City precisely because it has kept winning, even in games that might otherwise have finished in draws or defeats.
So far, Liverpool has claimed more points (10) from losing positions in the Premier League this season than any other club. Most of those points have come in the last few games alone, while the Reds have also made a habit of scoring late goals to secure points.
In fact, three of Liverpool’s last four games have wound up with the club scoring in the last 10 minutes and/or stoppage time, yielding five additional points than it would otherwise have without those late strikes.
Those results, as described below, are responsible for nearly the entirety of the club's lead over Pep Guardiola's side, which is doing what it can to keep pace after suffering some surprise results–ones unable to be rescued by late heroics.
Liverpool 2-1 Leicester
A week after being made to work hard to beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane–Georginio Wijnaldum got the only goal of that game after 70 minutes–Liverpool didn’t get their winner against Leicester on Oct. 5 until deep into stoppage time.
After James Maddison had equalized for Leicester at Anfield, it was James Milner who converted the 95th-minute winner from the penalty spot to seal the three points.
Man United 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool was a heavy favorite to thrash a floundering Manchester United at Old Trafford in the first game after the October international break, only to struggle to find its usual rhythm against an unexpectedly resilient opponent.
Liverpool trailed for much of the game after Marcus Rashford’s first-half opener. A Sadio Mane goal had already been chalked off for a handball, and it was arguably one of the team’s weakest attacks that resulted in Adam Lallana tapping in a close-range equalizer 85 minutes in.
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool looked on course for a first Premier League defeat of 2019-20 at Villa Park in its last outing. The hosts were leading 1-0 and only four minutes plus stoppage time remained.
But Andrew Robertson found the elusive equalizer, and then it was Mane who popped up to get the 94th-minute winner. Manchester City had itself come from behind to win the same day, and the lead could have been cut had Mane not been there to score.
