Jamie Carragher fears Liverpool’s losing streak will proceed following the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, with Arsenal now his Premier League title favourites.
However the Reds legend suggests Arne Slot’s side can still defend their crown even in the event that they trail Mikel Arteta’s team toward the top of the season.
Following an excellent begin to the campaign, 4 consecutive defeats in all competitions have exposed Liverpool’s weaknesses and highlighted the poor performances of their star players.
Slot might want to turnaround their form and quick, with tricky games against Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Real Madrid on the horizon, but Carragher isn’t confident.
‘I feared this happening,’ the previous defender told The Gary Neville podcast. ‘It almost seems like once that invincibility is gone – just a little bit like with Man City last season – every [rival] team seems like they’ve got a likelihood.
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‘I remember playing Arsenal, the invincible team, and beating them 2-1. I feel they’d lost the sport before at Old Trafford and that team, once they’d lost one, they only went on this run of losing games because everyone just got this belief they may go and beat them.
‘It seems like Liverpool now have just lost that cloak of invincibility. Last season they went months without losing a game and once they’ve lost one, the chink of their armour is there and it just seems like every game they go into now, the opposition have gotten real belief they will rating goals.’
It is just eight games into the season and leaders Arsenal are only three points clear of Manchester City, with Liverpool some extent further behind.
And while Carragher fears for his former side within the short-run, he says a shot on the title will still be on the cards, providing the gap to the Gunners shouldn’t be too large.
‘The fear for them is, I feel they’re going to lose more points between now and the top of January, February. Lots more points,’ he added.
‘And can Arsenal or Manchester City be too distant from them? I feel Arsenal straight away look one of the best equipped team to win the title.
‘But Arsenal will get nervous in March and April because they haven’t won a league for thus long. And Liverpool and Manchester City have to be certain they’re not too far out in front where they will’t affect that.
‘And that’s the thing with Liverpool now losing these silly points. I feel they’ll lose more. They’ve got to maintain Arsenal inside arm’s length of them.’
In two of the last three seasons, Arsenal led the title race going into the run-in, only to suffer a late collapse, allowing Man City to lift the trophy as a substitute.
Liverpool’s first opportunity to get back to winning ways shall be on Wednesday night once they tackle Eintracht Frankfurt within the Champions League, before travelling to Brentford for his or her next top-flight clash.
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