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Chris Sutton believes Liverpool ‘could be the closest challengers to Manchester City’ this season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have strengthened their squad during the transfer window, signing exciting new talents Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister while also holding on to Mohamed Salah after he was heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
Liverpool have also seen some players depart this summer, with Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Fabino being the three most notable players leaving Anfield.
Sutton also claimed that keeping hold of Mohamed Salah could be pivotal in helping them challenge Man City.
Chris Sutton (right) has told Ian Ladyman on Mail Sport’s It’s All Coming Up podcast that he believes Liverpool could challenge Manchester City this season
Jurgen Klopp’s side (pictured) sit joint second in the Premier League standings after won three of their matches and drawn their fourth
Mohamed Salah (pictured) will also be staying at the club for another season at least amid ongoing interest from Saudi Arabian sides
Speaking on Salah’s potential departure, Ian Ladyman said: ‘The fact that the Saudi transfer window has now closed and Mo Salah will be staying at Liverpool for, I suspect, one more season, but it could be a big season. That should give them a huge boost going forward, shouldn’t it? Because we could have been sitting here talking about their best player having left.’
‘But more importantly, not a boost,’ Sutton interjected. ‘It gives them a big chance of or a much greater chance of challenging Manchester City. And they are the team. I know everybody’s talking about Arsenal and I totally get that.’
He continued: ‘But I’ve got a sneaky feeling about Liverpool this season because of the strength in depth in those forward areas. And the Liverpool midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, excellent signings.’
Liverpool also acquired Wataru Endo from Stuttgart and promising young talent Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, but Ladyman hit back at Sutton, claiming his prediction was perhaps too audacious.
‘Another bold statement there from you, Liverpool, could have a chance of doing well this season,’ Ladyman said.
‘Do you think they’ll challenge Manchester City? Do you think they’ll be the closest challengers or are you going to get on that fence again?’ Sutton replied.
‘Do you know what I do think?’ Ladyman responded. ‘What I do think, and I was mulling this over this morning, is that so far this season, we’re four or five weeks into a football season, nobody ever talks about Manchester City. They are the best team in the league. They’re the best team in Europe. Nobody.
‘Every one talks about them. And do you know why that is, mate? It’s because they are so good now. Everything they do runs so smoothly that they just win and win.
‘And a team that wins all the time, finds it doesn’t lend itself to kind of fierce debate on calls like this. And I think that’s an incredible, I don’t know, incredible bit of praise for them. It’s testimony to their brilliance, I think. We don’t talk about them.’
Chris Sutton responded: ‘I don’t, I don’t like to disagree with you all the time but to say nobody talks about Manchester City, you know, you must have had your head firmly up your backside for the opening weeks this season.’
City have got off to a flawless start winning all four of their opening Premier League matches this season.
And Ladyman was holding firm on his point, saying: ‘Let’s put it this way. We’ve now done about four or five of these. It’s All Coming Up shows. We’ve done four or five of our Monday show. We’ve never done a Manchester City section because, yeah, it’s an editorial judgment issue.’
Liverpool have also invested in their midfield signing Alexis Mac Allister (left) from Brighton
Dominik Szoboszlai (pictured) is another new addition to the Liverpool midfield and has impressed upon his arrival at Anfield
Pep Guardiola’s (pictured) side still remain top of the Premier League table, having enjoyed a flawless start to the new season
‘My point is, and if you’re not gonna accept it, that’s fine, but my point is that shows like this and people down the pub. People write in newspapers and on football websites talk about big issues, they talk about controversy, they talk about big questions. City are so good, they just roll on. That’s my point.’
And neither was Sutton, who also stood his ground: ‘Yeah, well you’ve made your point, I don’t agree with it. I think they’re good, but I think a lot of people where I live, a lot of the farm hands around where I work, they love talking about Manchester City.’
‘In terms of what in terms of the financial fair play issue because obviously that will come back that’s not been settled or you think about the football,’ Ladyman responded.
But it Sutton once again responded: ‘That everybody’s talking about, you know, Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, the way that Pep Guardiola is using them this season. No Kevin De Bruyne so far. Imagine when he comes back. They are a phenomenal team. But I think that most people around the country are still talking about Manchester City. It’s not like they’re not aware of them. Dear me.’
