Unfamiliar Territory

Quick. Take a glance at the top of the Premier League table. Yes, you saw that correctly - it reads "Liverpool". While it is still early, Liverpool is off to a great start in their quest to capture their 19th Premier League title, and to end their 18 year drought.

The last two results, 1-0 at Sunderland, and 2-1 home against Middlesbrough, have left much to be desired. Both matches were victories snatched out of thin air, 80 minutes of poor, uninspired play giving way to moments of sheer luck and brilliance to end the day with 3 points in the bag.

It is clear that Liverpool is lacking threatening wide men, as every attack goes through the middle. Perhaps Barry would resolve this issue considering his versatility, but at this point I think Liverpool fans would be satisfied with the signing of a player like Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.

However, it isn't all doom and gloom at Anfield. The return of three key players from the Olympics (Babel, Lucas, and Mascherano) is sure to bolster their at times weak midfield play, and with an attack minded fullback like Dossena bombing down the touchline, Mascherano's destructive presence in the defensive midfield would be a welcome addition, freeing Dossena up to be even more aggressive going forward providing width.

The mark of a champion is the ability to pull out a win even when you are not at the top of your game, and thus far Liverpool has passed that test with flying colors. Of course, we are yet to see just how good Liverpool's best can be, as the Keane + Torres partnership is still working out some chemistry issues and the lack of any true wide threats cripples the Liverpool attack. In the coming days, look for Liverpool's board to pony up the cash and provide the funds for a left footed midfielder to move to Anfield (Barry and Downing are both still in the mix, as Riera has been labelled as too pricy). Could this be the year that Liverpool finally gets it done? With Man U and Arsenal seemingly struggling, the mantle is there for the taking. I expect this season to be a two horse race between Chelsea and Liverpool, with Liverpool making a push near the end as Chelsea shifts its focus to Abramovic's coveted European Championship.