Paul Merson asked whether Liverpool can go unbeaten this season

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Paul Merson has warned that Liverpool will need an enormous amount of luck when asked on The Debate (broadcast on Sky Sports; 11/11; 22:15) whether Jurgen Klopp’s men can go through the entire Premier League season unbeaten.

You could understand why some believe that the Reds already have one hand on the trophy. After beating Manchester City at the weekend, they sit eight points clear of their closest rival.

Liverpool have won 11 of their first 12 games, with Manchester United the only side to hold Klopp’s men to a draw. And with City beaten, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see which side will be able to end their undefeated run.

But Merson admitted that he had his doubts when he was asked whether he could see Liverpool emulating Arsenal’s side of 2003/04.

“No,” he told The Debate, when asked whether he thinks Liverpool could go unbeaten. “Because it’s so hard. They’ve still got to go to Man City. Let’s not forget that Man City at home, when they’ve got a full team, will be a tough draw. You’ve got to be lucky. I talk to Ray Parlour all the time and we talk about the Invincibles. He’ll reel games off to me where he’ll go, ‘I can’t believe we won that game’, or ‘I can’t believe we got anything’.

“They’ve still got to be lucky for another 26 games, which is a lot of games. It’s not four or five. 26 football matches. Plus they’ve got the Champions League, they’re the holders of that so they’re not going to give that up lightly.”

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In fairness to Liverpool, they have already proved how resilient they can be. They have come from behind to beat Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

The Villa game, in particular, arguably has the potential to prove especially memorable come the end of the campaign.

In many ways, it is somewhat reminiscent of when Arsenal got a goalless draw at Old Trafford early on in their unbeaten season. United missed a penalty that day, ensuring that that game is remembered as one of the most pivotal moments in that season.

It should perhaps surprise no one therefore if, come the end of the campaign, the late comeback at Villa Park is looked back upon as being just as significant in Liverpool’s season.