Martin Keown backs Liverpool to emulate Arsenal's Invincibles by going entire season unbeaten

Liverpool

Martin Keown believes Liverpool will remain unbeaten for the rest of the 2019/20 Premier League season.

The Reds have won 19 and drawn one of their first 20 fixtures this term, opening up a 13-point lead at the top of the table.

Liverpool are seeking a first league title since 1990 and also have Arsenal's unbeaten top-flight record in their sights.

The Gunners avoided defeat for 49 consecutive matches between May 2003 and October 2004.

Thirty-eight of those games came in the 2003/04 campaign, when Arsenal became the first English team to go an entire season undefeated since Preston in 1888/89.

And Keown, who made 10 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side that year, thinks Liverpool will emulate his former club's achievement this term.

"During Arsenal's 2003/04 Invincibles season, I saw opponents line up alongside Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and co. in the tunnel. They'd ask them if they could swap shirts after the game, before we were even on the pitch!" the former centre-back told the Daily Mail.

"We were that formidable. Whenever I saw that, I knew we would win. There are certain ingredients you need to go unbeaten for so long, and fear from the opposition is one.

"We had that at Arsenal back then, and Liverpool have that now. Jurgen Klopp's team have built a reputation for themselves.

"They have gone toe-to-toe with a magnificent Manchester City side. They are the champions of Europe, the Premier League champions-elect. That grows in the minds of opponents. 

"Liverpool's players may be striving for perfection but they can always improve. It's about energy and desire.

"The manager has to create an environment where everybody wants to do better. Arsene Wenger did that with us, so has Klopp. The German has got Liverpool playing good football, too.

"It won't be easy. But as someone who was part of an Invincibles group 16 years ago, do I think Liverpool will stay unbeaten this season? Yes I do. They have all the right ingredients."

Liverpool travel to north London to face Tottenham on Saturday.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).