What will coronavirus contingency mean for Liverpool’s historic season?

In the face of the Coronavirus pandemic contingency, the Premier League has announced the suspension of all competitions until at least April 4th. How will this affect Liverpool F.C’s historic season? Will it damage its title run?

The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic is already affecting all levels and disciplines of the global Sports universe, and the English Premier League is being severely harmed by it in recent days. On Friday, the organization released an official statement regarding the announcements that Chelsea FC player Callum Hudson-Odoi and Arsenal first-team coach Mikel Arteta have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Premier League states that it convened today with the clubs’ Shareholders and they have collectively agreed to postpone all competitions — which also includes the EFL, the Scottish FA, and the Women’s Super League — with the intention of returning to activities on April 4th, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time.

In Europe, UEFA has likewise agreed to postpone all pending Champions’ League and Europa League fixtures to a yet unspecified date, and the FA followed suit with the announcement that the National team’s scheduled friendlies with Italy and Denmark have been called off.

This contains serious implications for all EPL clubs, especially those who are in contention for the title. Liverpool FC, the undeniable front-runners that have dominated the competition in a historic manner and stayed undefeated for a stunning 27 games, could be harmed by this temporal interruption, not only due to the obvious economic consequences but also regarding their performance on the pitch.

First of all, a suspension, in any sport, could kill the momentum and the morale of the team, which had been already hurt by the spectacular 3-0 loss to Watford on week 28, and most recently, by their crushing extra-time defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions’ League. But most importantly, such a wide-ranging epidemic creates serious health concerns to any team and the already delicate balance in Liverpool’s squad could be affected in a way that might completely shut down their working rhythm with only 9 more dates to go.

It is true that their run so far has been impeccable, with impressive performances from all the key players, particularly by brilliant playmaker Mohammed Salah and wingers Sadio Mané and Roberto Firminho. But they’re already showing signs of a small decline; Watford’s intelligent tactics exposed Liverpool’s defensive slow down, and the Atletico Madrid fixture, in which they lost both matches, showed us a team in the brink of exhaustion.

The Coronavirus emergency is creating uncertainty throughout the entire League. Teams will have to make their due adjustments to be ready to give the best when the activity resumes. Fans can only hope that the Jürgen Klopp squad returns to form and proceeds to clinch the title soon, but meanwhile, the German coach has several things to fix before it’s too late and the season falls off their hands.

Liverpool is hungry for a Premier League trophy; it’s been thirty years since their last taste of domestic glory, and no amount of European honors can erase that in the minds of the supporters. 2020 can still be their big year and after such a stellar season, all they need is a few more good results to conquer the coveted prize. It would be a perfect coronation for one of the most exciting squads in recent British soccer history.