Paul Merson is backing Manchester City to win the Premier League title race.

Only two point separate the incumbent champions from Arsenal (second) and Liverpool (third) at the top of the table.

The 56-year-old is confident that the Sky Blues’ experience will win out over that of their rivals.

“In terms of the Premier League title race, you have to fancy Pep Guardiola and Co now,” the former Gunners star wrote in his Sportskeeda column.

“They are still in the FA Cup but have a big enough squad filled with experience to tackle the business end of the campaign.”

The Sky Sports pundit went on to add: “Fulham have caused teams problems this season and Liverpool are coming on the back of an abysmal week, much like Arsenal.

“They are struggling a bit in front of goal and look like they have sort of fizzled out in recent weeks. I think they’ll drop points once again, effectively ending their title hopes.”

The Merseysiders take on the Cottagers this Sunday following their Europa League exit in Bergamo on Thursday.

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Liverpool can still win the title if they fix serious concern

There’s only one way we’re winning the title ahead of our competitors this term.

Liverpool HAVE to fix their profligacy in the final third in the last six games of the season. No excuses.

The Reds haven’t scored a goal from open play in the last four consecutive games played.

They can change all that with a huge performance and potential goal glutz in London this weekend.

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Paul Merson has questioned why Harvey Elliott wasn’t handed more game time during Liverpool’s shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Reds had the opportunity to return to the top of the Premier League table had they beaten the Selhurst Park-based outfit at the weekend but instead ended the weekend third in the table with Manchester City currently occupying top spot ahead of Arsenal.

Despite Jurgen Klopp promising a reaction from his side’s 3-0 Europa League defeat to Atalanta on Thursday night, the Merseysiders threw in a lacklustre first half performance and then wasted a handful of huge opportunities to find the back of the net after the break.

The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott were all introduced from the bench to help try and rescue the Reds but Merson believes the latter should’ve been given more of a chance to influence the game.

“Klopp’s a great manager,” the former Arsenal man told Sky Sports (via Rousing The Kop). “Why are you bringing Harvey Elliott on with ten minutes to go?  Eight minutes to go? Give him 25-30. That’s one thing he is, a very good substitute. He affects football matches. But managers feel the pressure as well.”

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Our No. 19 has struggled to break into the starting XI so far this term but has impressed whenever called upon from the bench.

The England youth international has three goals and seven assists to his name this season (across all competitions) and has spoken recently about his desire to start more games for his boyhood club.

The 21-year-old can be deployed in an advanced midfield role or as part of the front three and has the ability to calve open defences with his superb passing ability and impressive vision.

He does bring a lot of energy to the side when brought off the bench but he’ll be eager to make his mark from the start when handed the chance to do so between now and the end of the season.

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Liverpool and Arsenal allowed Manchester City to remain top of the league with a shock double defeat this weekend and it was enough for Paul Merson to make a bold title prediction.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the 56-year-old said: “City went to Crystal Palace last week in what was a must-win football match and got the job done – they did their business this weekend and all of a sudden they’ve blown the other two [Arsenal and Liverpool] away.

“They put pressure on them by playing first and they couldn’t handle it, either of them.

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“For me it’s gone. They’ve worked that hard for 32 games to go that extra yard to stop that cross and it’s lazy. It’s lazy and 100% it’s gone.”

To be ruling out Mikel Arteta’s side would surely suggest that Jurgen Klopp’s squad are also out of the running and the pendulum has swung firmly in Pep Guardiola’s favour.

If we can take any hope, it’s that one weekend can change everything but time is running out for the Reds to see momentum come back in our favour before the campaign ends.

You can watch Merson’s comments via Sky Sports Premier League on YouTube:

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There’s plenty which can be said about Liverpool after their costly defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, but one criticism from Paul Merson seems rather peculiar.

The Reds failed to score in losing at home for the second time in four days, going down 0-1 to the Eagles after the 0-3 thrashing by Atalanta on Thursday, and they wasted a succession of chances in the second half against Oliver Glasner’s side.

Speaking on Sky Sports shortly after the full-time whistle, with Manchester City retaining top spot ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Aston Villa, the pundit said of LFC: “They haven’t got a natural goalscorer, and that’s Arsenal’s problem as well.

“Man City have got a natural goalscorer and they’re top of the league at the moment. I’m disappointed for Liverpool. I feel sorry for them…they’re near-on out of it now.”

Jurgen Klopp’s side can certainly be accused of being far too wasteful in their last two league games against Manchester United and Palace, but to say that they don’t have a ‘natural goalscorer’ is head-scratching.

Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz have hit 82 goals between them this season, with the Egyptian netting 209 times for Liverpool in his seven years at Anfield.

The Reds definitely have prolific forwards in their squad, but unfortunately their form has deserted them at the worst possible juncture, with the Premier League title at risk of drifting out of reach after a hugely damaging eight days.

You can view Merson’s comments below, via @SkySportsPL on X:

"They haven't got a natural goalscorer"

Paul Merson on Liverpool pic.twitter.com/sztGaSh4iC

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 14, 2024

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Paul Merson has called to question whether Roberto De Zerbi would be a good fit as Liverpool’s next manager.

The former Arsenal footballer was comparatively more complimentary about Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, whom he feels is the more likely candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

“As for Roberto De Zerbi, I think teams have caught on with the way Brighton play,” the Sky Sports pundit wrote for Sportskeeda.

“I’d have been surprised if he got the Liverpool job, they need someone who is winning football matches week in and week out at the top level. If Liverpool drop points, there will be headlines in the newspapers.

“Ruben Amorim on the other hand – I can see that. What he’s doing with Sporting is outstanding, he’s working under severe pressure and delivering. I don’t think that’s the case with De Zerbi. He’s still a good manager but I don’t think he’s ready for a massive club yet.”

The Primeira Liga outfit took themselves seven points clear of nearest rivals Benfica with a convincing 4-0 win over Gil Vicente.

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What has Amorim since said about his future?

There are now serious questions over whether the 39-year-old will indeed be the man to replace the outbound Liverpool boss this summer.

The former Braga boss will have raised eyebrows in the our recruitment team after admitting to reporters that he doesn’t feel his cycle with Sporting is over.

Whether we take this at total face value or an invitation to make a better offer behind the scenes – assuming we’re hard at work behind the scenes with Amorim’s entourage – remains to be seen.

It’s yet another potential managerial blow – and one we perhaps didn’t anticipate facing so close to the end of the season.

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Paul Merson has given his prediction for Liverpool’s Premier League clash at home to Brighton this afternoon.

The Reds will temporarily go top of the table if they avoid defeat at Anfield, but need a win if they’re to have any chance of ending the day in first place, with Manchester City and Arsenal facing each other a couple of hours later.

The Sky Sports has called both fixtures in his weekly Sportskeeda column, and while he expects Jurgen Klopp’s side to be given a fierce contest by the Seagulls, he’s backing a 2-1 home win.

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Merson wrote: “I think this is a hard game for Liverpool. A lot of people might think that Liverpool could just turn up and get the result here but Brighton, despite their struggles, are not going to be that easy to push aside. Brighton are yet another unpredictable team that turns up the odd weekend.

“We’ve got to that stage of the season where you have to win every game, especially when you’re chasing the title. This is a rather difficult phase because we’ve just had the international break and the players have been travelling and could be weary. For Liverpool, it’s one of those games that they just need to get out of the way.

“I don’t see this being a walkover by any stretch of the imagination, but Jurgen Klopp’s men should back themselves to pull off a narrow win here.”

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If Merson’s prediction turns out to be accurate, it’d give Liverpool a first home win over Brighton since November 2019. It was also 2-1 that day, with Alisson Becker sent off towards the end of that clash at Anfield.

A repeat of that scoreline would also see Klopp land a first victory over Roberto De Zerbi at the fifth time of trying, with the Italian bagging two wins and two draws against the Reds since he took charge of the Seagulls 18 months ago.

The south coast club have had the Indian sign over us in recent clashes, and their manager could see today’s fixture as a prime opportunity to stake a case to replace the man in the other dugout ahead of next season, with the 44-year-old one of the leading contenders to get the Merseyside gig.

However, as Merson says, it’s one of those games where Liverpool just need to find a way to win, even if it’s by the narrowest of margins. The City-Arsenal clash give us a glorious chance to steal a march in the title race, and it simply can’t be squandered.

It’ll probably be a very uncomfortable afternoon at Anfield, but the Reds have managed to get the job done more often than not this season, so they’ll back themselves to show the necessary qualities to end their curious Brighton hex today.

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Wataru Endo’s move to the Premier League is sure to have raised brows this summer.

The Merseysiders had been in line to secure one of two highly-rated talents in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

Jurgen Klopp’s men sadly missed out on both but gained a hugely impressive alternative signing in the Japan captain.

“Wataru Endo is a player I’ve been really impressed by, what a signing he’s been!” Paul Merson wrote for Sportskeeda. “Very rarely does Klopp get it wrong with transfers, I can’t recall looking at one of their signings over the years and saying ‘damn, he was a major waste of money’, which is a huge compliment to everyone who works behind the scenes.”

The former Stuttgart midfielder signed for the Reds for £16.2m in a deal keeping him at Anfield until 2027.

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Signing of the season?

Cole Palmer and Chelsea fans might have something to say about that!

Nonetheless, it can’t be denied that our 31-year-old, gumshield-wearing midfield enforcer is up amongst the top summer signings.

Whilst we’ll always wonder what might have been with a younger player in Caicedo or Lavia, it very much seems that Klopp and our recruitment team chose correctly in Endo.

What a gift he’ll be to the next man to take up the Anfield helm for the foreseeable future.

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Paul Merson has lauded the talents of Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Old Trafford.

The pair have been ever-present in the Reds’ first-team this season amid injuries to the likes of Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

“The likes of Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley have also been absolutely different class,” the former Gunners star wrote for Sportskeeda. “Liverpool have good professionals at the club, making it a great environment for these young players to come into the team and flourish.”

The young fullback has excelled in his breakthrough campaign at L4, registering six goal contributions in 17 appearances in 2023/24.

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An environment built to get the best out of youngsters

It goes without saying that we shouldn’t just be dishing out praise to Quansah and Bradley (though Merson is absolutely correct in his assessment).

The environment at Liverpool, carefully cultivated since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival in 2015, makes it a hotbed of rising stars.

Take a look at the likes of Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns and James McConnell, to name a few more who have thrived this term.

It’s critical that whoever comes in to replace the manager this summer keeps the tradition alive.

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Paul Merson has backed Liverpool to beat Manchester City at the weekend if Mo Salah plays.

The Sky Sports pundit has suggested that the sight of the Egyptian would scare the Reds’ upcoming opponents.

“Mohamed Salah gives Liverpool their X-factor and they’ll beat Man City on Sunday if he plays,” the former Arsenal man told Sky Sports.

“Without him, I don’t see how Liverpool are going to hurt City on a consistent basis. With Salah, they’ll get after Man City and put them under severe pressure by closing down high up the pitch.

“He is one of the best players in the world and takes chances – Liverpool will get enough chances to win if Salah plays. He carries that fear factor too and will make Man City think. They’ll nick the win with him.”

That’s a reasonable claim given the No.11 is one of the top three scoring players in the Premier League with 15 top-flight goals in 2023/24.

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There’s a very good chance the former Roma man will play a part in Sunday’s league meeting following his involvement in training on Wednesday afternoon.

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Man City are far from unthreatening

We appreciate Merson’s backing as always, though the attacking threat presented by the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez likewise can’t be discounted.

That being said, this is a Liverpool side that has been asked to play without its key men for quite some time now.

We’re rather looking forward to seeing our wounded, but so far indomitable, boxer restored with a mostly full set of teeth ahead of a key showdown with Pep Guardiola’s men.

If Salah’s ready to go – let rip and let him at ’em we say.

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Paul Merson has suggested that the outcome of Liverpool’s showdown against Manchester City on Sunday could hinge on whether or not one particular player features.

The Reds have held their position at the top of the Premier League despite trying to cope with an injury crisis which has deprived Jurgen Klopp of several stalwarts, although some of those have returned and another could be in line to play next weekend.

It was reported this morning that Mo Salah may resume full training today with a view to possibly being available for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side to Anfield, having missed all but two matches for his club this year due to hamstring and muscle injuries.

In his latest column for Sky Sports, Merson claimed that Liverpool will secure all three points on Sunday, but only if the 31-year-old plays.

The pundit stated: “Salah gives Liverpool their X-factor and they’ll beat Man City if he plays. Without him, I don’t see how they’re going to hurt City on a consistent basis. With Salah, they’ll get after Man City and put them under severe pressure by closing down high up the pitch.

“He is one of the best players in the world and takes chances – Liverpool will get enough chances to win if Salah plays. Salah carries that fear-factor too and will make Man City think.”

Merson concluded: “I’ve seen City at Anfield too many times and it’s hard a place to go when it’s bouncing, but Salah has to play for Liverpool to win this game.”

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Considering that Salah remains Liverpool’s top scorer this season despite his recent injury absence, and is our fifth-most prolific player of all time, you can understand why Merson believes the result could depend on whether or not the Egyptian features.

He boasts an especially good record against City, too, scoring in all but one of their visits to Anfield since he joined the Reds in 2017 and registering at least one goal contribution in seven successive Premier League games against Pep Guardiola’s side (Transfermarkt).

Our chances of victory on Sunday would absolutely be aided by having the 31-year-old back, although our season has been characterised by ‘peripheral’ and young players stepping up decisively in the absences of established stars.

Liverpool have still scored freely since the start of year even without Salah, while a win over Sparta Prague on Thursday would mean we go into the City game on a run of seven consecutive victories.

The champions would obviously be a step up from the other teams we’ve faced in that sequence, but the Reds have proven time and again that they can find a way past seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

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Paul Merson is anticipating a ‘hard game’ for Liverpool when they travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Reds have enjoyed an excellent week in two domestic cups, but all eyes are now back on their Premier League title pursuit, with this weekend offering them the chance to extend their lead over Manchester City and Arsenal before those two play their fixtures.

In a match between 1st and 17th, you’d expect the former to win every time, but Jurgen Klopp is having to deal with numerous injuries to key players, while his side lost on their previous visit to the Midlands club in October 2022.

Giving his weekend predictions for Sportskeeda, Merson expects Liverpool to face a stern test but prevail 2-1, writing: “This is a hard game, but I think Liverpool could have a bunch of senior players back in the squad for this one, with Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo expected to play some role in this game.

“I doubt Klopp will rush his key players back, especially with the Manchester City game on the horizon, but he’ll have them on standby in case this game doesn’t go as planned.

“Their young players have been outstanding so far, but they can’t play against Man City, with all due respect to them, so it remains to be seen how Klopp approaches this game in terms of his selection. Nonetheless, I’m going for a Liverpool win, but this is not going to be straightforward for the Reds.”

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Liverpool’s cause would certainly be helped if the likes of Nunez, Salah, Szoboszlai and Endo are fit enough to feature; but as Merson said, Klopp might tread cautiously with that quartet, considering that Man City come to Anfield on Sunday week, and with a Europa League trip to Sparta Prague in the meantime as well.

The Reds have made a habit of getting the job done the hard way this season, frequently coming from behind to earn three points, and a combination of numerous injuries and a hectic fixture period poses its own challenges.

Forest have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 Premier League games, so our attackers must fancy their chances of getting on the scoreboard tomorrow, although Nuno Espirito Santo’s team have also found the net in each of their last nine top-flight matches (Transfermarkt).

The Midlands club have lost narrowly to Arsenal (twice) and City this term, so they won’t hold any major fear about facing Liverpool.

However, Klopp’s men usually find a way to win matches through a mixture of resilience and quality, and we agree with Merson in believing that the Reds might prevail by the narrowest of margins.

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Paul Merson has heaped praise on one ‘unbelievable talent’ who’s impressed for Liverpool in recent weeks.

The pundit was discussing the Reds on Sky Sports‘ Soccer Saturday this lunchtime (12:12, 24 February) when he left viewers in no doubt as to his admiration for Conor Bradley, who’s made a huge impression since getting a regular run of games at Anfield since the start of the year.

The 55-year-old said of the young right-back: “This kid has got unbelievable talent. We were just watching the clips there. I know that clips can make you look great, but his intelligence, his football brain, he knows when to pass, when to close down.

“Everything he does, it is the right decision. For a 20-year-old, that is unusual, very unusual, for a 20-year-old to make consistently the right decisions, playing for a big football club. I think this kid is amazing.”

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Bradley had only played five times for Liverpool’s first team prior to this season – all in domestic cups (Transfermarkt) – but he’s made the step up to a senior regular in recent weeks look very straightforward.

The 20-year-old capped a man-of-the-match display against Chelsea with his first goal for the Reds and has also contributed five assists since the turn of the year (Transfermarkt).

Even more admirably, he’s continued to impress since returning to action after the death of his father in early February, overcoming his personal tragedy with incredible maturity for such a young footballer.

With each passing week, the echoes of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s breakthrough at right-back at a similar juncture of the 2016/17 season become more striking.

If Bradley can go on to have as successful a Liverpool career as the man whose place he’s taken in the line-up during the latter’s injury absence, the Northern Ireland youngster will be a dream to watch for years to come at Anfield.

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Paul Merson beleives Chelsea have a huge advantage over Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s League Cup final at Wembley due to the fact Curtis Jones has been ruled out of the game with a sprained ankle.

The Scouser missed Wednesday night’s victory over Luton after picking up the injury against Brentford at the weekend and Pep Lijnders has confirmed the Scouser may not return to action until next month’s international break.

The Academy graduate has been in superb form for the Reds this season – nailing down a regular starting spot in midfield with his impressive offensive ability while also making significant improvements to the defensive side of his game.

Our No.17 has registered five goals and three assists so far this term (across all competitions) and Merson believes his absence on Sunday will be felt by Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“I’m more confident for Chelsea’s chances than I was after the Liverpool game when they lost 4-1 at Anfield in January,” Merson told Sky Sports (via Metro).

“It all depends on who is fit for Liverpool – if Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones are fit, it is a different story. If they aren’t fit, I think it is a heads-or-tails football match.

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“If they are fit, especially Salah, and Curtis Jones – he is playing well and brings out the best in Alexis Mac Allister because he has the legs in the team – that would just swing it Liverpool’s way.

“But if they don’t play, it is a funny old game, football. Three or four weeks ago, you are thinking Chelsea don’t have much chance after being blown away at Anfield.

“Now all of a sudden, Chelsea are playing half-decent at the right time. Second half at Palace, they did well and at Man City the other day. For me, they are just playing well at the right time and I think they have a good balance.

“If Curtis Jones isn’t fit, then I think Chelsea win that midfield battle.”

In his press conference earlier today Lijnders confirmed it’s a race against time regarding the fitness of Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez ahead of Sunday’s final.

The pair were absent from the squad for our defeat of Luton but there’s hope that that decision was purely precautionary with our trip to the capital approaching.

Jones, who was labelled as a ‘fantastic’ player by Jordan Henderson previously (via Metro), brings a lot of energy to our midfield and there’s no doubt that before his injury he was enjoying his most successful run in the side since he made his debut for the club back in 2019.

With Dominik Szoboszlai also unlikely to be fit for our clash with Chelsea it’s likely that our midfield trio will consist of Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

All three performed well against the Hatters earlier this week but against Mauricio Pochettino’s side at Wembley it’s going to be a completely different game.

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Paul Merson has explained Liverpool ‘really missed’ one player in particular against Arsenal but reckons the Reds will get back to winning ways when Burnley visit Anfield tomorrow.

Jurgen Klopp’s side threw in a lacklustre performance at the Emirates at the weekend as the north London-based outfit reduced the gap between themselves and league leaders Liverpool to just two points.

The Merseysiders could find themselves in second spot by the time they kick off against the Clarets – that’s if Manchester City defeat Everton in the early game – but Merson believes Klopp and Co. will return to the summit with a 3-0 victory.

“Liverpool will win this one at home, it’s just a matter of how many they score,” Merson told Sportskeeda. “Last week, they just didn’t show up against Arsenal and lost quite devastatingly, but this is a good game for them to return to winning ways. I thought it was a masterstroke by Mikel Arteta to play Jorginho – he was outstanding with his disguised passes and kept it simple in the middle of the park, allowing the Gunners to carve Liverpool open.

“I think Liverpool will respond in style, the Arsenal game was an off day for them. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker both made glaring errors, which doesn’t happen often.

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“In terms of their team, I’m not blaming Trent Alexander-Arnold for his performance, but I think the Reds really missed Conor Bradley.

“Liverpool are still very much in the title race – they just have to keep winning until they face Manchester City at Anfield. If they get three points in that fixture, the Premier League title could well be returning to Merseyside.”

Conor Bradley was certainly a huge miss in the capital with him missing the game due to the passing of his father.

The Northern Ireland international has been exceptional in recent weeks but it remains to be seen whether he’s ready to return to action tomorrow.

His energy up and down the right flank was vital while Trent Alexander-Arnold was sidelined with a knee injury and our No.84’s absence was felt at the Emirates.

Thiago Alcantara and Dominik Szoboszlai will play no part against Vincent Kompany’s side due to injury while Ibou Konate is suspended after being dismissed against the Gunners for two bookings.

The Frenchman’s suspension could see Joe Gomez revert to centre half with Andy Robertson coming in from the start at left back.

A big performance is needed to ensure we end the day top of the table!

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Paul Merson has sounded an ominous note for Liverpool in the Premier League title race, which right now he believes is only going one way.

The Reds are still top of the table, although Manchester City and Arsenal both cut the gap to two points following the most recent gameweek, and the champions have a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp’s side.

In his latest column for Sky Sports, the pundit claimed that the recent returns of two major players for Pep Guardiola’s team will make it a tall order for any of the other contenders to prevent them from winning a fourth consecutive title this year.

Merson wrote: “I don’t see who beats Man City to the title. They have missed probably the best player in the league [in] Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland has also been out. That’s a worry at best for the others. City are on for the treble again.”

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Liverpool’s defeat at Arsenal, combined with City continuing their perfect start to 2023 with victory at Brentford, has come as a blow to our hopes of dethroning the Manchester club, who’ll no doubt be strengthened by having De Bruyne and Haaland back.

However, the onus is still on Guardiola’s side to win their game in hand; and even if they do, the Reds have a chance to take matters into their own hands and land a direct blow on their rivals if they can beat the champions at Anfield on 10 March.

We also have two of our biggest players to return from injury in Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, and even though most of our regular starters have had spells on the sidelines so far this season, we’ve still managed to set the pace at the Premier League summit up to now.

With our next four top-flight games coming against teams currently in the bottom six, that should provide an ideal platform to quickly put Sunday’s disappointment behind us and build momentum once more prior to the City showdown in 32 days’ time.

Liverpool have proven more capable than anyone of taking Guardiola’s team to the wire, and they can do so again in Klopp’s final campaign in charge, except hopefully with a different outcome this time to our last two title races against the Manchester outfit.

#Ep100 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

The post ‘I don’t see…’ – Merson identifies one big ‘worry’ for Liverpool in Premier League title race appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.