“I do think they have one over on City.”
Liverpool begin their Premier League campaign against West Ham on Sunday at Anfield and optimism is high amongst fans of the Merseyside club. It’s difficult to remember when they were this confident ahead of a new season, especially in the Premier League era.
Before a ball is kicked, they look best-placed to challenge champions Manchester City. But, for it to actually be Liverpool’s year this time, Gary Neville reckons that they won’t be able to repeat their exploits in Europe this season.
According to the former Manchester United defender, Liverpool’s high-intensity style means that they will struggle to challenge on two fronts. For Jurgen Klopp’s side to push Man City close on the domestic front, they may need an early European exit.
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“I think Liverpool need to go out of the Champions League pre-Christmas to have a good chance of winning the league,” Neville said in Dublin on Thursday.
“I don’t think they can challenge on both fronts with the way they play, unless they adapt and they change. The way they play, at 100mph from the first minute to the last minute, means it’s very hard to do that Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday. I think it’ll be tough. But if they were to go out of the Champions League and they had free weeks after Christmas, Saturday to Saturday, they could be a real threat this season to City.
“I do think they have one over on City. The challenge for them is to repeat that level of energy and that level of focus every three days. But they are a challenge this year, Liverpool.”
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Liverpool have recorded three impressive victories over Pep Guardiola’s team already in 2018. They were the first side to beat them in the Premier League last season, winning a fantastic game at Anfield 4-3 back in January. They then knocked City out of the Champions League, winning both legs of their quarter-final tie in convincing fashion.
City have strengthened over the summer, signing Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City. The Algerian forward was previously the best Premier League footballer playing outside of the top-six. They also have Benjamin Mendy back after injury and look primed to repeat their stunning displays from last season. They probably won’t finish with 100 points again, but they will be extremely tough to stop.
Yet, Liverpool have also addressed weaknesses within their squad. Alisson Becker was briefly the most expensive goalkeeper in the world and looks like the top-class ‘keeper Liverpool have lacked for several years. In midfield, the club have signed Fabinho and Naby Keita. Fabinho could be the midfield controller that Liverpool didn’t have last season, while Keita looks set to dominate games over the next nine months.
In the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, when Mohamed Salah was forced off injured, Klopp had to bring on Adam Lallana, who clearly wasn’t fully fit. But it now seems like Liverpool have more strength in depth than in previous seasons.
Xherdan Shaqiri will be a threat when he plays and offers a different option to Klopp in the final third. Lallana has had a full pre-season after struggling for fitness last season and Nathaniel Clyne has returned from injury. Liverpool appear to have very few weaknesses and could blow teams away this season.
But, the brilliance of City means that, despite Liverpool’s obvious quality, it will require something extremely special to win their first league title in 29-years.
According to Neville, there is almost no chance that City’s high standards will slip and Guardiola is determined to become the first Premier League manager since Alex Ferguson in 2009 to retain the title.
“I’ve spoken to Pep twice on Sky since the end of the season. We asked him directly, ‘Premier League or Champions League?’ Premier League came out of his mouth before we’d even finished the question,” the Sky Sports pundit said.
“We spoke to Kompany and Walker, they seem so intent to not drop below the mentality and standards they achieved last year. I think back-to-back titles is an obsession for them. They know they’re not really going to be seen as a great team, and that Pep is not going to be seen as someone that has dominated English football, if he doesn’t win two in two or three (titles) in three. He realises that is the measure of greatness.
“Perception is everything. For me, they are the ones to beat and it’s just a case of whether United, Chelsea or Liverpool can do it. They’re the only three that can challenge.”
City start their Premier League campaign against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, straight after Liverpool’s fixture against West Ham.
Gary Neville was speaking in Dublin as an ambassador for Cadbury, the official snack partner of the Premier League.
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