Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has made a surprising claim that the Premier League title remains 'within reach' for his old club, despite their alarming slump in form that sees them languishing in 12th position.
A Dreadful Run of Form
The Reds, managed by Arne Slot, are enduring a torrid period, having lost six of their last seven league games. Their most recent setback was a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. This dismal run means the defending champions, who invested heavily in summer recruits, now find themselves a staggering 11 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
However, Owen, 45, remains cautiously optimistic. While admitting it's unlikely, the former Ballon d'Or winner believes his old side have shown flashes of brilliance that suggest an extraordinary comeback isn't entirely out of the question.
Owen's Case for Optimism
'It's likely they'll miss out, but I still think it's within reach,' Owen stated during an appearance on the Mennie Talks Podcast. He pointed to several specific performances this season that he found impressive.
'They played really poorly against Manchester City, but they have put in performances this season that took your breath away,' Owen explained. 'That performance against Real Madrid, I know it was only 1-0, but it could have been 4-0. They were absolutely brilliant. For a half against Villa, they were brilliant. They beat Arsenal at Anfield.'
Owen was keen to stress that Liverpool's losses haven't always been a true reflection of their play. 'I look at the teams that they got beat against... Liverpool were the best team against Manchester United. They got beat against Chelsea with the last kick of the game, it could have gone either way. It's not like they're getting beaten by mugs all the time.'
The Consistency Conundrum
The former England international did not shy away from the team's primary issue: a lack of reliability. He singled out their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray as a particularly 'poor performance'.
'I'm not dressing it up, they're not consistent. They're not at their best, but it's not like they're playing badly,' Owen continued. 'You can still see they're a great team in patches, in certain games. It's just the consistency. They're playing well enough in patches to suggest that they can go on a big run. They just need that consistency. They've got to get a wriggle on.'
Despite his more upbeat assessment of Liverpool's capabilities, Owen conceded that he believes the Premier League title is most likely heading to Arsenal this season. He praised Mikel Arteta's side for their development and noted that teams often need time to build towards a title win, citing Arsenal's consecutive second-place finishes as a foundation for success.
