Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has backed his old club to end their long wait for a title and lift the Premier League this season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have been a dominant force in the division so far, winning 15 out of their first 16 games to amass an eight-point lead at the top of the table
That comes after they pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race last campaign, eventually finishing runners-up on 97 points – the highest total in English top-flight history for a team finishing second.
That has raised hopes among the supporters that the club can finally become champions of England again 30 years after their last triumph in 1990.
Benitez is one of eight Liverpool managers who tried and failed to recapture the league title in the ensuring years, but he believes Klopp is the man to finally end that long wait.
When asked on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football whether he thought it was Liverpool’s year, the Spaniard said: “I think so. I think that they are doing so well.
"They are very consistent. It is very difficult for them to lose games, especially to lose games in a row for sure.
“They have been signing the right players over the past year, spending money obviously, but (on) very good players in the right positions and the ones the manager was looking for.”
When asked what was the secret to their success Benitez, who managed the Reds between 2004 and 2010, added: “They have a very good balance. So it’s not just that they have good defenders or people are just talking about the goalkeeper. The full-backs go forward, the strikers have pace and ability, and the midfielders press all the time.
“As soon as they attack you, if they give the ball away they are pressing you so it is very difficult to counter-attack and create something.
“If you are a team that has plenty of possession they are so aggressive, it is not easy. If you are a team that wants to play counter-attack they are so quick. We tried that with Newcastle but we couldn’t go in behind them because they were faster than our players."
