Liverpool’s Premier League title defence was written off by Roy Keane after their .
Keane mentioned the reigning champions are in “disaster” following a fifth Premier League defeat of their final six matches, whereas fellow Sky Sports activities pundit Micah Richards attacked Florian Wirtz’s efficiency ranges since his £116m arrival.
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Final season beat Metropolis 2-0 residence and away on their solution to the title, however they had been decidedly second greatest on the Etihad, swept apart by targets from Erling Haaland, Nico González and the excellent Jeremy Doku, with Haaland lacking a penalty besides.
“At this second in time, you possibly can’t be contemplating Liverpool for the league title,” mentioned Keane, the previous Manchester United captain, after Liverpool’s “flat” show.
“I feel it’s disaster time for Liverpool. We all know they are often crushed at Man Metropolis. We all know it’s a troublesome place to return and Man Metropolis, the indicators are they’re clearly getting again to the easiest. However to lose seven in 10 and 5 league losses already this season, it needs to be a disaster for a membership like Liverpool.”
He added that Liverpool “seemed like a extremely weak staff immediately”. “I’m going again to that phrase – lack of depth, lack of power, chopping and altering and bringing your subs on, it simply seemed actually flat.”
Richards, who agreed with Keane’s verdict that Liverpool look unlikely title challengers, expressed explicit concern over Wirtz’s shows since arriving as considered one of European soccer’s most coveted playmakers final summer time.
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“If you happen to get purchased for £100-plus million, you need to be able to go,” mentioned the previous Manchester Metropolis full-back. “Right now we didn’t see Wirtz once more, and that turns into an issue for the supervisor.”
Florian Wirtz did not impress once more – Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Richards mentioned he had beforehand “protected” Wirtz, however he then added: “I feel that if you’re purchased for that amount of cash, no matter what league you’re coming from, you must present greater than what you’re exhibiting now.”
In the meantime, fellow Sky Sports activities pundit Gary Neville mentioned Wirtz seemed like a “little boy” in opposition to Metropolis.
“Wirtz is an issue,” Neville mentioned on his podcast post-match.
“Let’s simply name it as it’s. It’s a difficulty. He’s £100m-plus, and to be honest, I mentioned a number of weeks in the past [Milos] Kerkez seemed like somewhat boy on the market. Right now I assumed Wirtz seemed like somewhat boy. That may’t be the case.
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“We’ve been tiptoeing round him for a number of months, round the truth that he’s younger, he’s coming to a brand new nation, however he’s £100m-plus, you’re going to have to face up quickly.”
Daniel Sturridge mentioned Wirtz wanted to be given extra time to settle in, however he accepted “it’s not understanding in the meanwhile” for his former aspect. “I feel that the cohesion and the chemistry that the staff had final season has clearly disappeared,” he mentioned. “It’s not there anymore. It’s not the identical outfit that we’re used to seeing.”
Slot fumes at ‘incorrect determination’ to disallow equaliser
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Arne Slot hit out at an “apparent and clear” mistake after Liverpool had a aim controversially dominated out .
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The Premier League champions had been trailing to a header from Erling Haaland, who had an earlier penalty saved, when Virgil van Dijk headed residence Mohamed Salah’s nook within the thirty eighth minute.
However Andy Robertson, who was standing in an offside place, was deemed to have blocked the road of imaginative and prescient of Gianluigi Donnarumma, with VAR ruling the Liverpool defender had made an “apparent motion” in entrance of the Metropolis goalkeeper.
Slot claimed the incorrect determination had been made however insisted that was not the explanation his aspect misplaced as Pep Guardiola hailed an “unbelievable current” in his .
“It’s troublesome to present my view. It’s apparent and clear that the incorrect determination has been made, no less than in my view,” the Liverpool supervisor mentioned. “He didn’t intervene in any respect with what the goalkeeper might do. Instantly after the sport somebody confirmed me the aim that the identical referee [Chris Kavanagh] allowed – Metropolis in opposition to Wolves final season.
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“So it took the linesman 13 seconds to boost his flag to say it was offside. So there was clearly communication, however as I mentioned that might have influenced the sport in a optimistic means for us.
“I want to emphasise the very fact being 2-0 down at half-time was a good reflection of how the sport went. However I’ve been on the other aspect when my staff was significantly better than the opposite staff and 1-0 up and perhaps not scored the second and the opposite staff will get a set-piece and it’s 1-1, and impulsively issues change.
“At 1-1 it might have been the largest reward we might have at half-time. For my part the second half was a special sport, however 2-0 down and 3-0 down it isn’t a great reflection of how issues might have went at 1-1.” Slot nonetheless acknowledged that Metropolis had been the superior aspect as Liverpool slumped to a fifth defeat of their final six Premier League outings and admitted his aspect – who path leaders Arsenal by eight factors – had an enormous quantity of floor to make up.
“It feels there’s too many [defeats] and the very last thing I ought to take into consideration now’s the title race,” he mentioned. “We must always first concentrate on getting outcomes – consequence and consequence after consequence – earlier than we will even take into consideration that. The fact is we’re eighth now, one staff is sort of far forward, though Metropolis is 4 factors away from Arsenal. The remainder is sort of shut. The very last thing we should always concentrate on is the title race. We have to enhance and that’s apparent.”
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Victory moved Metropolis to inside 4 factors of leaders Arsenal, who dropped factors the , and Guardiola believes his re-energised aspect have gotten “unpredictable” for opponents.
“I feel we’re extra unpredictable, I might say, in the best way we assault and the best way we defend – that’s good for us and never good for the opponents,” the Metropolis supervisor mentioned.
“They don’t know perhaps what we’re going to do. However we’ve got good power throughout the sport. I simply say thanks to the gamers and workers to present me that unbelievable current, to win in opposition to crucial opponent that we confronted in our time right here [in England] by far. It has been a particular evening with my youngsters right here. It was a great lesson, generally you need to reside that as a membership. For the membership itself it was good.”
