Back of the Net!

Another week of emphatic wins in the Champions League by British teams puts Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United in strong positions, while Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Romanian champions CFR Cluj nevertheless leaves them top of their group.

The real surprise however is Liverpool, who with the help of Robbie Keane’s first goal since his £20 million move from now-struggling Tottenham Hotspur guided them to a 3-1 win over the slick Dutch team PSV Eindhoven.  This puts them top of Group D, a position they share with Atletico Madrid, each carrying 6 points while Marseille and PSV look unlikely to progress having failed to earn any points to date.

Despite Liverpool’s recent European successes, it’s been a long time since they were able to set the pace in the domestic league.  In fact it’s fair to say they’ve been waiting since the days when the Premier League was nothing more than a fantasy pipe dream for most football fans.

Today however, they sit in second place on goal difference behind Chelsea, with both teams on 14 points.

Remarkably, Merseyside is relatively quiet.  They’re quietly confident on the red side of the city, but avoiding any hype so far as Rafa Bentitez’ team continues to generate results.  The performances have generated some consternation (Everton seen to be the better team in the recent derby) but watch out - they’re in a strong position to dominate, and if Liverpool get their teeth back into the biggest prize in British football, they’ll take a lot of letting go.

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