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Man Utd 19/20 Review: Worst points record for 30 years awaits

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<span style="background-color: white;">Man Utd 19/20 Review: Worst points record for 30 years awaits</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">Alex Keble's 2019/20 season review for Manchester United suggests the club are badly under-performing despite their position in the table...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Manchester United's battle for a place in the top four, plus their continued involvement in the Europa League and FA Cup, has left their season looking <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">relatively successful</strong> - at least compared to their rivals.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been let off the hook by a remarkably low-quality Premier League season in which five of the 'Big Six' have performed considerably below their normal level. Winning 45 points from 29 games puts United on course for 59 for the season, their <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lowest for 30 years</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Following a 4-0 win over Chelsea on the opening weekend, Man Utd made a terrible start to the campaign as Paul Pogba's injury and the sale of Romelu Lukaku began to take its toll. They won nine points from the first nine league games and, with a squad desperately lacking in quality after a too-quiet summer, a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">midtable finish</strong> looked like a genuine possibility.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It was during this period that we had final confirmation Solskjaer's tactical coaching isn't up to scratch. A full summer under the Norwegian's tutelage yielded the same performances, and results, as those towards the end of the 2018/19 season. United were playing <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">without any discernible plan</strong> or direction.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Except for when they faced 'Big Six' clubs, that is. Results generally improved in November and December but what most stood out were back-to-back victories against Tottenham and Manchester City, while United would go on to collect <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">17 points from nine matches</strong> against the 'Big Six'.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Solskjaer certainly knows how to sit deep, play on the counter-attack, and record unlikely wins against the elite clubs. And that could be a very useful commodity moving forward, if <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bruno Fernandes</strong>' impact since January is anything to go by.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">His creativity from the tip of midfield has energised United and inspired wins against mid-table clubs, suggesting <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">individual talent can make up for the collective lack of sophistication</strong> at Old Trafford. Sign a few more Fernandes types and Man Utd can flat-track bully the smaller clubs, while engaging Solskjaer's 'Big Six' strategy to win points in the more important head-to-heads.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In other words, if United can build their own <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Galacticos</strong> - and approaches for Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho suggest that is very much the plan - then the club's extraordinary wealth will render Solskjaer's lack of tactical planning inconsequential.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Doing the double over rivals Man City is definitely the club's proudest achievement in 2019/20, particularly given Solskjaer's side richly deserved their win on both occasions. <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pep Guardiola was outwitted</strong> by United's bullish approach and quick breaks down the flanks.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">For all the weariness of the team's performances against mid-table clubs and lower, the manager deserves credit for continuing to <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">motivate his players</strong>, leading to significant improvements from the likes of Luke Shaw, Fred, and Anthony Martial. All three of these players can be proud of their individual contributions, as can Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcus Rashford.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps the lowest point in the season was the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2-0 defeat at Burnley</strong> on January 22, a game that ended a decent run to leave United once again facing disaster. On 34 points from 24 games, Solskjaer's side were just four points above Newcastle in 14th.<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" />Old Trafford has seen some pretty <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">diabolical performances</strong> in recent years, but to be beaten by struggling Burnley on home soil was right up there with the worst.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The January transfer window was a humbling experience for the club, too, with Haaland choosing Borussia Dortmund and forcing Ed Woodward to settle for <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Odion Ighalo</strong>, presumably much lower down on the list. The Nigerian has been a surprise success, but in terms of feeling optimistic about the future the January deadline day was a real low point for United fans.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A top four finish, <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>priced at </b></span></span><span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="5/2">3.45</span> with Betfair Exchange, is the most important goal for Man Utd should the Premier League season resume. In order to attract the highest calibre targets and therefore recover their status in the European game it is essential United do not spend another year without Champions League football. They are currently three points behind Chelsea, but on a run of 11 matches undefeated they may well usurp Frank Lampard's side.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Another route into the competition is winning the Europa League, and after beating LASK 5-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie United are considered tournament favourites, <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>at </b></span></span><span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="16/5">4.20</span> with Betfair Exchange. The FA Cup is also an attainable goal, <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>priced at </b></span></span><span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="17/2">9.60</span>, particularly given Solskjaer's record against the big clubs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Woodward is looking to add a couple of star players to the team this summer while hanging onto Pogba, and the addition of a top striker and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jadon Sancho</strong> could quickly elevate United to a whole new level given how strong their defensive record has been in 2019/20. We can anticipate a long, drawn-out bidding war involving several of the game's biggest players.<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" />After the Haaland/Ighalo situation, Woodward's dealings this window could make it the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">most significant summer</strong> in the club's recent history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A top-four finish and one piece of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">silverware</strong> would undoubtedly make this a successful year for Solskjaer, whose side were never expected to challenge for the Premier League title.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But even if they achieve this goal it is safe to say their performances, and points tally, are <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">nowhere near good enough</strong> for a club of Man Utd's size. The fault for that lies with multiple people, from the owners to the chief executive to the manager. Things are unlikely to get better any time soon.</span></div>
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Man Utd 19/20 Review: Worst points record for 30 years awaits

Man Utd 19/20 Review: Worst points record for 30 years awaits Alex Keble's 2019/20 season review for Manchester United suggests the c...

00:11

Newcastle 19/20 Review: Bruce enjoys brilliant campaign

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<span style="background-color: white;">Newcastle 19/20 Review: Bruce enjoys brilliant campaign</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">The suspension to the 2019/20 Premier League season gives us a chance to pause and reflect. With that in mind, here's the latest in a series of club reviews this entry focusing on Steve Bruce's outstanding achievement at Newcastle...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When Newcastle United lost fan-favourite Rafael Benitez in the summer and replaced him with Steve Bruce, most pundits assumed the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Magpies were doomed</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Losing Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon only added to that, which is why Bruce <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">deserves the highest praise</strong> for taking Newcastle to 35 points from 29 games - four more than his predecessor at this stage last season.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In fact, there is a decent argument for awarding Bruce the Premier League <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Manager of the Year</strong>.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Season so far</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After losing the first two games of the season, including a 3-1 defeat at Norwich, it looked like predictions of a relegation scrap were accurate. But a 1-0 win at Tottenham in August ultimately set the tone for a campaign defined by <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ultra-defensive football</strong>, extreme resilience against the big teams, and snatching winners on the break.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Newcastle have won nine league games this season, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">eight by a one-goal margin</strong> and five with a 1-0 score line. They rank bottom of the table for average possession (40.8%), have scored the joint fewest goals (25), and have faced the fourth most shots (15.3 per game). This is a team built on sitting deep, defending in numbers, and collecting points with ruthless efficiency.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Bruce has consistently deployed a 5-4-1 formation, a favourite of his since his Hull City days, relying on Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin to make ground on <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">rare counter-attacks</strong> - and relying on the centre-backs to score from set-pieces. Defenders account for 48% of Newcastle's league goals this season.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Long-term, the fans won't be happy with such negativity, but while Mike Ashley remains at the club Premier League survival is a gift. In their current context, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2019/20 has gone very well</strong> for the Magpies.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Highlights</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Saint-Maximin has been joyous. His maverick dribbling is often out of control - and all the more fun for it - but as the season goes on the Frenchman has begun to add a final ball to his game. He only has three goal contributions to his name, and yet <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Saint-Maximin</strong> ranks third in the league for completed dribbles with 4.4 per game. That is a rare commodity.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1-0 win at home to Manchester United</strong> in September was undoubtedly the highlight of the campaign. Bruce made the bold decision to play the Longstaff brothers together in midfield and Matty, on his debut, scored the winner to cap a brilliant individual performance. Isaac Hayden's 93rd-minute winner against Chelsea in January also stands out.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Finally, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Almiron scoring his first goal</strong>, the decider in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, is something for Newcastle fans to cherish. The Paraguayan, signed for £21 million, had gone almost an entire year at the club without scoring. The relief was felt by everyone associated with the club.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lowlights</strong></h2>
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<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Joelinton</strong> has been a huge disappointment. The 23-year-old, signed for £40 million in the summer, has scored just once for Newcastle this season and his performances are getting worse over time. The Brazilian has a very difficult job, often finding himself isolated up front, but nevertheless he has been one of the biggest flops in recent Premier League history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Probably The Magpies' worst result was a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5-0 defeat at Leicester City</strong> in September, when Hayden's straight red card just before half-time led to a second-half rout from the hosts. At the time it looked to confirm Newcastle would struggle this season, only for Bruce's side to promptly beat Man Utd seven days later.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What they can achieve in 19/20</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">They only need three or four more points to survive the drop, meaning a <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>top ten finish, priced at</b></span></span> <span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="3/1">4.10</span> with Betfair Exchange, is now a realistic target for the club. Being eight points off seventh, Newcastle are highly unlikely to qualify for European competition - but will record their highest league finish since 2011/12 if they can grab ninth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Magpies are also still in the FA Cup, but drawing Manchester City in the quarter-final means their run will probably end soon, hence the <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>odds of</b></span></span> <span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="35/1">36.00</span> with Betfair Exchange.</span></div>
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<h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What next: Summer transfers & 2020/21</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It seems unlikely that Ashley will be able to sell the club this year following the chaos of the league's suspension, which means the best Newcastle fans can hope for is a similar performance under Bruce in 2020/21. However, to do that will require some <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">major reinforcements</strong>. They are unlikely to win so many of those tight contests next season.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">They need <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a new striker</strong> to provide Joelinton with competition, while more creativity out wide would also be helpful. Almiron and Saint-Maximin are too erratic to consistently conjure chances for the forwards.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It's easy to forget that the vast majority of pundits <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">expected Newcastle to finish rock bottom</strong> of the Premier League this season. It was widely believed that Benitez's brilliance was the only thing holding the club together, and yet Bruce is well on course to surpass the Spaniard's achievements.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">He has done <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a phenomenal job</strong>, even if the football is excruciatingly dull. At this frustrating and wearying juncture in the club's history, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Newcastle fans will be very happy</strong> with the squad's achievements so far.</span></div>
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Newcastle 19/20 Review: Bruce enjoys brilliant campaign

Newcastle 19/20 Review: Bruce enjoys brilliant campaign The suspension to the 2019/20 Premier League season gives us a chance to pause an...

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Man City 19/20 Review: Champions League needed to avoid failure

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<span style="background-color: white;">Man City 19/20 Review: Champions League needed to avoid failure</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">The Premier League is suspended until at least May, so we have decided to review every club's season so far. Next up, why winning the Champions League is the only way for Man City to save an otherwise poor season...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Second in the Premier League table, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">EFL Cup winners</strong>, holding a first-leg advantage in their Champions League knockout tie, and into the last eight of the FA Cup, for most football clubs Manchester City's position as of March would be considered a relatively successful season.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But by Pep Guardiola's standards, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it has been a failure</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">City have <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lost seven leagues games</strong>, a record high for a Guardiola side, and trail the league leaders by 25 points, the biggest gap the Catalan has endured as a manager. Those statistics tell a more accurate story of their 2019/20 season, which - unless it ends with the Champions League trophy - will be reviewed as a year to forget.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Many pundits predicted Guardiola would leave at the end of the campaign, such was the sense his era was fading, with around half of the City squad set to be <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in their 30s</strong> at some point in the 2020/21 season. More than most, they need a strong end to the current campaign to restore some optimism at the Etihad.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Season so far</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Things were going just fine for City until <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Aymeric Laporte</strong> got injured against Brighton late August, when suddenly Guardiola's decision not to replace the departed Vincent Kompany looked foolish. City promptly lost 3-2 at Norwich in what remains the biggest shock of the 2019/20 Premier League season.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Within that performance could be seen all of the issues that would come to define Man City's season: Norwich tore through the middle, exposing the brittleness of Guardiola's central defence and the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">disorganisation</strong> in midfield without Fernandinho.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This became a major theme, with Wolves, Newcastle, Man Utd, and Liverpool all similarly exploiting City's problems in the transition from attack to defence. Along with increasing hesitancy going forward and as Liverpool pulled clear, Man City's 2019/20 campaign unfolded as a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">deflating</strong> and largely meaningless experience.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">However, a revival was in sight just as the hiatus began. City <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">beat Real Madrid 2-1</strong> at the Bernabeu in one of the best performances of Guardiola's tenure, and shortly after won the League Cup and progressed to the quarter-final of the FA Cup. They could yet end the season on a high, and, with Laporte back from injury, lifting the Champions League is certainly not out of the question.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Highlights</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When the game kicked off and Man City lined up in a flat 4-4-2 with two false nines in <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kevin de Bruyne</strong> and Gabriel Jesus, most people assumed Guardiola had once again overthought things. But City came back from 1-0 down to beat Real Madrid on their own turf, sparking talk City would finally win the one trophy that has eluded them since the takeover in 2008.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Four days later City picked up the first silverware of the season, winning their <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">third consecutive League Cup</strong> with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. It wasn't quite the same high as the midweek game, but historically winning this tournament has given the club a confidence boost ahead of the run-in.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fans will also remember <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">thrashing Watford 8-0</strong> in September, an angry response to being beaten by Norwich seven days earlier, in which Bernardo Silva scored a hat-trick as City went 5-0 up within 18 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lowlights</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Losing twice to Wolves is one thing, but to be <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">defeated home and away</strong> by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United was a humbling experience for Guardiola. The great tactician found himself outwitted twice by a man largely considered unqualified for his role.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The main lowlight, however, has been the general sense of having <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">nothing to play for</strong> across long stretches of the Premier League campaign. This helps explain why performance levels have dipped across the board.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The club's <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ban from the Champions League</strong> was the darkest moment of their year, of course, although it is increasingly unlikely this will come into play for 2020/21.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What they can achieve in 19/20</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And yet this could still be a monumental season for the club. The Champions League is their holy grail, and with no other distractions - plus Laporte returning to the side - Man City may never have a better shot at it. Then again, perhaps that pressure will get to them, which is reflected in their <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>odds of</b></span></span> <span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="10/3">4.30</span> to win the trophy with Betfair Exchange.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Domestically, another <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>FA Cup win, priced at</b></span></span> <span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" title="1/1">2.00</span> with Betfair Exchange, is still on the cards, plus Guardiola will be keen to ensure City don't drop below Leicester City in the Premier League.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What next: Summer transfers & 2020/21</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A big rebuilding job is required. Man City need at least <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">one new centre-back</strong> to forge a long-term partnership with Laporte, as well as a new left-back (Benjamin Mendy hasn't worked out) and a midfield destroyer to replace Fernandinho.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In attack, City could do with <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a new winger</strong>, assuming Leroy Sane is leaving the club, and possibly an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus. Guardiola is highly unlikely to fill all the holes in the side, but even just one new defender would allow Fernandinho to shuffle back into midfield, re-solidifying that first 11.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">A <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">repeat of the 2018/19 points tally</strong> is definitely attainable, especially if they have no midweek European football.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">There is only one way to escape 2019/20 without it being deemed a failure, and that's to be crowned European champions. The 2-1 win at Real Madrid suggests <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">City do have it in them</strong>, should the tournament be completed, and with Liverpool knocked out City can consider themselves the strongest team technically.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But the most likely scenario is another year without that most coveted of prizes. And if that's the case, then <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2019/20 will be a year to forget for Guardiola, his players, and the fans</strong>.</span></div>
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Man City 19/20 Review: Champions League needed to avoid failure

Man City 19/20 Review: Champions League needed to avoid failure The Premier League is suspended until at least May, so we have decided to...

00:50

Liverpool 19/20 Review: Klopp's team close in on history

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<span style="background-color: white;">Liverpool 19/20 Review: Klopp's team close in on history</span></h1>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700;">With the Premier League on hiatus, Alex Keble takes a look at Liverpool's 2019/20 season and celebrates an extraordinary year in the club's history...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Liverpool are on the verge of ending their 30-year wait for the Premier League title and should do so with a <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">record-breaking</strong> points total. Make no mistake, this is among the club's greatest ever achievements. The current squad will enjoy legendary status forever.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Why, then, are some people suggesting 2019/20 is underwhelming? Liverpool's triumph has felt inevitable since as long ago as November, which might explain the sense of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">anti-climax</strong>, while losing four of the last six matches in all competitions has seen Jurgen Klopp's side crash out of the Champions League and the FA Cup.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But a decade from now nobody will remember the defeats, nor will they care if the Premier League is the 'only' trophy won this calendar year. Liverpool are set to be crowned champions of England. That is the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ultimate achievement</strong> for this club. That is all that matters.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Season so far</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The story of Liverpool's season is one of <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">relentless victories</strong>, a consistency never before seen in English football. Rarely have Klopp's side blown teams away or won comfortably, with 15 of their 27 league wins settled by a one-goal margin. Instead their season has been defined by charisma and mentality.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">According to xG statistics Liverpool have <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">outperformed by 22.19 points</strong>, meaning had all of their matches reflected both sides' 'expected goals' they would be on 60 points, an ordinary tally for title hopefuls - and three points behind Manchester City (who have 63 'expected points').</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Some have sought to use these numbers to argue Liverpool have been lucky, or that their achievements have been exaggerated, but that is to misunderstand the psychological aspect of the sport. To score so many low percentage chances, to win with late goals even when playing badly, and to do so relentlessly, is the sign of a special team led by arguably the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">greatest motivator</strong> in football history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Tactically, Liverpool use <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trent Alexander-Arnold</strong> and Andrew Robertson more aggressively than ever, the two full-backs regularly exchanging raking diagonals or dipping infield to act as playmakers. With Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah pinning the opposition back four and the three central midfielders rotating the ball, it is often up to Klopp's full-backs to create chances.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The moment Liverpool fans began to believe was the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3-1 victory over Man City</strong> at Anfield in November that took them nine points clear of Pep Guardiola's side. It was the emphatic nature of the win, scoring twice in the first 13 minutes, that seemed to settle the title and confirm City would endure a difficult campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Had City won that game, cutting the gap to three points and shattering the <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">air of invincibility</strong> that lasted until February, who knows how the rest of the season would have panned out?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5-2 victory over Everton</strong> a few weeks later is also a highlight, maintaining their 11-point lead at the summit in style and putting any remaining doubts to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fans were bitterly disappointed to go out of the Champions League in the second round, </span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What next: Summer transfers & 2020/21</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Liverpool don't have many areas that need improving, although they could do with an upgrade on Lovren as cover in central defence and <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a new playmaker</strong>. At times they struggle to break the lines when facing a deep block, missing a spark of ingenuity in central midfield. Someone like Jack Grealish would make a great addition.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Klopp also wants Timo Werner and Liverpool are widely expected to sign the RB Leipzig forward in the summer to bolster their attacking options, <span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b>priced at 4/9 with Betfair</b></span></span>. Divock Origi is a cult hero at Anfield, but the club need a higher calibre of player as backup - especially with Salah and Mane missing parts of next season for the Africa Cup of Nations.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In the complete absence of a title challenge this season it is easy to push aside Liverpool's success, the anti-climax - made worse by the probable <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">trophy lift in an empty stadium</strong> - tainting our response to what Klopp has achieved in 2019/20. But this club deserve to be celebrated for their unprecedented points tally and for finally ending a 30-year wait to be crowned Premier League champions.<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">It might feel oddly flat, and perhaps even vaguely irrelevant against the backdrop of a global pandemic, but history will remember them as an</span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"> </span><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">iconic Liverpool side</strong><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">, right up there with the legendary teams of Kenny Dalglish, Bob Paisley, and Bill Shankly.</span> Liverpool didn't do much wrong over two legs against <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Atletico Madrid</strong>. In fact, the first 90 minutes of their second leg at Anfield, which ended 1-0, was arguably one of the most complete Liverpool performances of the Klopp era.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The other major disappointment was losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup with a reserve team, a decision that felt unnecessary given Liverpool were so far ahead in the Premier League table. Finally, <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">losing 3-0 to Watford</strong> ended their hopes of an unbeaten season just when it started to look feasible. Klopp will regret playing Dejan Lovren at Vicarage Road.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong></span></div>
<h2 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: #161616; font-family: BetFairFlama, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What they can achieve in 19/20</strong></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Premier League suspension came at an agonising time for Liverpool, who were just two games away from the trophy lift - hence their <span class="inline-odds" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; color: #161616; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="1/50">1.02</span><span style="color: #161616; font-family: inherit;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(255, 184, 12); border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><b> odds of winning the title with Betfair Exchange</b></span></span>. Should the league get back underway, Liverpool can find motivation in trying to beat Man City's points record.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Klopp's men need <strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">19 points</strong> from nine games to do so. They should succeed.</span></div>
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Liverpool 19/20 Review: Klopp's team close in on history

Liverpool 19/20 Review: Klopp's team close in on history With the Premier League on hiatus, Alex Keble takes a look at Liverpool'...

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