Robbie Earle has explained his theory as to why Liverpool just about got over the line in their 2-1 victory against West Ham on Sunday.
After Arsenal dropped points at home to Brentford the evening before, the Reds seized their opportunity to stretch their lead at the Premier League summit to 13 points, needing just six more to guarantee a 20th top-flight title and maybe even clinching it on Sunday if they beat Leicester and the Gunners lose at Ipswich.
However, Arne Slot’s side needed an 89th-minute winner from Virgil van Dijk to defeat the Irons, who over the full match would’ve deserved a draw had they gotten one, and the Merseysiders’ drop-off in intensity levels either side of half-time was a cause for concern among the Anfield faithful, who were indebted to Alisson Becker for a sublime performance.
However, Earle claimed that Liverpool’s players were subconsciously not going full-tilt because of the commanding lead that they’ve built up over the course of a long season, adding that the Reds would likely have played to a higher standard and won more convincingly if Arsenal were within striking distance of them.
Earle: It’s ‘human nature’ that Liverpool have dropped off
Speaking on The 2 Robbies Podcast on NBC Sports, the ex-Wimbledon midfielder said: “I think human nature kicks in – ‘We’re 10 points clear and with a win today we’re 13 points clear’. They’ve had 60-odd games across cup competitions, they’ve had internationals.
“I just think it’s a human trait that, even if you want to go [with greater intensity], your legs are going ‘Hold on a minute, I’ve put it on for 30-odd games and we’re sitting top’.
“If Arsenal were three points behind and there was a chase on, they’d have beaten West Ham 3-0 or 3-1. I think they’d have found those gears earlier.”
Liverpool’s levels have dipped of late, but league glory still seems inevitable
It’d be fair to claim that Liverpool’s overall performance standards in recent weeks have dropped significantly from the first six months of the season, even in the games that they’ve won.
It’s impossible to quantify how much of that is down to a subconscious feeling that the hard work is already done in the title race, and the players and coaching staff would flatly reject any such notion if it were put to them.
When the Reds had no margin for error while chasing down Manchester City in the 2018/19 and 2021/22 seasons, they were a relentless winning machine and largely played with far more conviction than in recent matches, although they had been running on empty towards the end of the latter campaign.
There could be any number of reasons as to why Liverpool haven’t reached the same levels of late that they showed earlier in the season – perhaps their earlier exertions are catching up with them a bit, or maybe there’s a psychological impact of being so close to securing glory, or perhaps opposition managers have ‘figured out’ how to combat Slot’s tactical blueprint.
It’d be wrong to accuse the players of not putting in 100% effort – they wouldn’t now be within touching distance of the title if they weren’t – but all that matters at this stage is getting the job done. If the title is eventually clinched with a flourish rather than a stutter, that’d be a welcome bonus.
