Liverpool are still in the 2022-23 Premier League title race

Liverpool’s inconsistent start to the 2022-23 Premier League season has left them playing catch-up in the title race.

Arsenal currently sit in first-place with 21 points, one ahead of reigning champions Manchester City.

By contrast, two wins and four draws from their opening seven matches has left Liverpool ninth in the table, 11 points off top spot.

Despite this, most football betting sites agree that Liverpool are still second favourites for the title and it is clearly too early to write them off.

Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures could go a long way in determining whether the team will mount a genuine title challenge this term.

They face Arsenal (A) and Manchester City (H) in their next two fixtures and six points would put a completely different slant on their season.

The trip to Arsenal will be tough, particularly given the improvement they have shown under Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners now look genuine top four contenders and will be keen to demonstrate their ability to stay in the running for Champions League qualification.

While writing a team’s title hopes off after nine games is generally foolish, it is fair to say that Liverpool can't afford to be beaten by Manchester City on October 16.

Pep Guardiola’s side have been in excellent form during the early stages of the campaign and will only get stronger as the season progresses.

Their summer acquisition of Erling Haaland has already paid dividends, with the former Borussia Dortmund striker giving them a fantastic cutting edge.

His hat-trick against Manchester United over the weekend demonstrated his ability to make top-class defenders look silly.

By contrast, the Reds are yet to see the best of new signing Darwin Nunez and he needs to step things up over the coming weeks.

The recent international break may help Liverpool improve over the coming weeks, with many of the club’s top players not featuring for their national teams.

They include full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was once again overlooked by England manager Gareth Southgate for their Nations League games.

Alexander-Arnold has not been at his best during the early parts of the season and needs to find some form if Liverpool are to force their way into the title race.

The 23-year-old has not been alone in under-performing this term and Liverpool need everyone to recognise that improvements must be made.

That comment undoubtedly applies to star forward Mohamed Salah, who is yet to hit the heights that he is capable of achieving.

The Egyptian star has netted just twice in six league outings this season and he needs to find his shooting boots sooner rather than later.

If Liverpool can rediscover their best form over the next three games, the subsequent fixture list looks fairly favourable.

Matches against West Ham United (H), Nottingham Forest (A) and Leeds United (H) should hold little fear for a team with title aspirations.

The trip to Tottenham Hotspur in early November will not be easy, although the Reds are more than capable of getting a positive result there.

The final game before the World Cup is at home to Southampton and Klopp’s side will rightly be confident of recording a victory.

A healthy points haul over the next few weeks is essential if Liverpool are to keep pace with the front-runners in the Premier League.

Manchester City are worthy favourites to retain the title and allowing them to build up a big lead this early in the season is a recipe for disaster.

Avoiding defeat against Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham, coupled with winning the other matches before the World Cup break has to be the minimum requirement.

Anything less than that could see Liverpool’s title challenge fade by mid-November and leave them battling to finish in the top four.

There is no guarantee that would happen given the improvements shown by Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham. With Chelsea also likely to be in the mix once new manager Graham Potter gets to grips with the job, Liverpool cannot afford any slip-ups over the coming weeks.

The title is not out of reach just yet, but it soon could be if Klopp’s side fail to get their act together.