Will Liverpool buckle under the pressure of captain Steven Gerard's arrest
Wednesday 31st December 2008
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been arrested in connection with an alleged brawl at a Liverpool drinking establishment in the early hours of Monday morning. Gerrard, along with a number of other parties, has been charged and is due to appear in court later in January. He has been given the full backing of his football club, the Football Association, the Players Football Association and his fellow professionals. Aside from the possible outcomes of a court appearance there are concerns that the pressure this will place on the Liverpool team could see them wilt in the pursuit of the championship.
Despite being ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United, Liverpool are still being quoted as third favourites for the title with Manchester United now at shorter odds than Chelsea. However, those who have written off Liverpool football club may need to think again as they have immense strength in depth which was evident in their 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle at the weekend.
While the timing of the Steven Gerrard affair is very unfortunate, the club appears highly focused on the future and aim to grab their chance of the title in the New Year. Whether Chelsea and Manchester United will be able to claw back the Liverpool lead remains to be seen but those who feel it is a two horse race between Chelsea and Manchester United may well have to think again.
