Opta supercomputer predicts whether Liverpool will win the league after spending £446m this summer
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Liverpool have had a record-breaking summer and many believe they will win back-to-back titles.
Before any transfers are made, the reigning Premier League champions are usually the favourites to win it again, but a lot can change after a few months.
Transfer business can change everything, with teams around the Reds strengthening significantly to try and close the gap.
Liverpool have spent more money than anyone, more than any Premier League club in one window ever, even breaking the British transfer record twice.
However, that does not mean they are favourites as performances on the pitch can tell a lot, as well as players needing time to gel together.
But, what does the computer think?
Well, Opta have crunched the numbers through its supercomputer and predicted where teams will finish based on the transfers they have made.
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Data is not for everyone and people much prefer to look at things ‘on the eye’, but there is no denying that they can make for interesting reading.
Statistics and data-based decision making is key to everything in life, even football, with this being how teams recruit players, while also how fans get their sources of information.
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And, Opta’s supercomputer is one of the most well-known pieces of technology used in football predictions, with it something that is referenced every summer without fail.
Following the conclusion of the transfer window the computer has predicted where each team will finish, with the Reds coming out on top.
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Opta say Liverpool are expected to reach a points tally of 79.11, which means they will pip Arsenal to the trophy again, this time by six points.
Other notable predictions see Manchester United finishing 13th, Tottenham 10th and Crystal Palace in 5th.
The calculations are done by their model running a simulation 10,000 times and then working out the average points each team earns, thus completing the full table.
Although they missed out on Marc Guehi, someone who would have significantly increased their chances of retaining the title, Liverpool still have enough to achieve what they have set out to do.
They have kept a good core of players at the club and only added top quality additions, ones that will seriously increase their attacking output too – not that it was really needed.
As well as this, although performances have not been the best, their resilience to grind out results is a sign of champions, something they have done time and time again.
It may only be a prediction but Liverpool fans will be hoping the supercomputer is right, because based on how much they have spent, it really ought to be.