Ex-Liverpool forward backs Jurgen Klopp to win the league should the club fulfill one short-term objective

Don Hutchinson believes that beating Sheffield United and Manchester United will make Liverpool favourite for the Premier League title

TV Pundit Don Hutchinson outlines the short-term goal of beating Sheffield United and Manchester United, making Liverpool the title favourite. Liverpool are currently one point behind Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand as they play Sheffield.

The Reds will go two points ahead of the Gunners if they beat the Blades at Anfield on Thursday. Liverpool are playing Man United on Sunday at Old Trafford after their forgettable recent visit in the FA Cup tie.

They lost 4-3 in extra time to their bitter rivals after conceding two late goals in the final 15 minutes. However, the situation is different as Liverpool players barely managed to move in those final 15 minutes due to fatigue.

The Reds have faced a severe injury crisis since the beginning of this year that has threatened their season. Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp has used the talented players from his academy alongside remaining senior players to muster a consistent form.

Hutchinson told ESPN (h/t YouTube) that Liverpool are his favourite to win the title if they win the two games. He said:

“I think if Liverpool beat Sheffield United and beat Man United, I think they’ll win the league. I think if you look at the next two fixtures, they’re interesting. Because City have got Palace and Luton, you’d expect City to beat both of them. Arsenal have got two tricky ones. They’ve got Brighton away and Villa. So if Liverpool can beat Sheffield United tomorrow, which I expect them to do, and then go to Old Trafford when they did them in the cup game a couple of weeks ago where they got emotional, Liverpool, got sucked into a cup tie; if they play a bit more measured and they win both of their games, I think this could be Liverpool’s year. I’ve got them favourites.”

With nine Premier League games remaining, the Reds have to take each game as a cup final. They need to be ready for any sort of tactical deployment from the opposition team to catch them by surprise.

United played an extremely defensive game by parking the bus at Anfield to secure a point and stop the Reds. It is speculative to think what their under-pressure manager Erik ten Hag has in store for Liverpool this time.

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Furthermore, despite the need to fulfil this short-term goal, Liverpool cannot take the remaining fixtures for granted. They will play Fulham, West Ham United and Everton away while facing Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves at home. Klopp needs to stick to his philosophy of taking every game seriously instead of focusing on the next.