Liverpool are the neutrals Premier League title favourites, claims Glen Johnson as Luis Suarez continues hot-streak

Neutral fans want to see Liverpool win the Premier League trophy as a reward for their exciting brand of football and to spice up the top flight hierarchy, claims Reds defender Glen Johnson.

Johnson was speaking after the 6-3 victory over Cardiff on Saturday that saw Liverpool surpass their highest number of goals scored in a season since the inception of the Premier League, having scored 82 goals already this season – six more than anyone else in the division.

Manchester City originally set the pace as they blew away all before them with their attacking trio of Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko, but their sudden drop in form and run of injury has coincided with the sheer dominance of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in front of goal.

‘SAS’, as the pair are affectionately known, lead the way in the Premier League scoring charts, with Sturridge’s tally of 19 goals surpassed only by Suarez’s mammoth 28. Combined , the pair have scored just one goal less than defending champions Manchester United’s total goals scored this season, and Johnson feels that neutrals would prefer to see the Merseyside outfit succeed rather than City or Chelsea.

“Just to spice things up the neutrals would want to see us win it,” Johnson said. “Nobody wants the same teams to be winning it over and over again. I guess the neutrals will be packing a punch for us. We must be good to watch.

“People watch football to enjoy themselves, see goals and see exciting football, and I think we do provide that. I think people will be rooting for us because it will be something different.

“I’m not that surprised by how we’re playing. Even last season we were battering teams but not getting the goals. At the moment we are playing well and getting the goals. It’s a case of staying calm and keeping it going.”

Johnson recognised that the win in the Welsh capital showed that the side had grown under Brendan Rodgers, when in previous times Liverpool tended to struggle in the immediate match after a big result like that of last weekend’s 4-0 win over United.

“Over the years this type of game has been the most difficult we have had, after a big win,” Johnson admitted.

“Everyone at the club was so high last week after beating Man United and it could have been difficult to raise ourselves to the same heights, playing a game that we were expected to win. It showed our character. Those three points were just as important as the ones at United.”

Rodgers’ side are now poised to push-on with their title challenge, with the final destination of the Premier League trophy likely to be hugely influenced by matters at Anfield. Both Chelsea, who sit four points ahead of Liverpool at the summit having played a game more, and City must travel to Merseyside where the Kop faithful will be confident of achieving a good result. Victory in both would see the Reds on the cusp of a first title success since 1990, and would be beyond anyone’s wildest expectations when the campaign got underway last year.