Alan Smith believes Liverpool will have a tough time challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
While the former Arsenal striker had plenty of praise for Jurgen Klopp’s men, he did not believe they were at the level needed to go all the way against Pep Guardiola’s outfit.
He told Lord Ping: “I don’t think Liverpool are ready to challenge for the title this season. I don’t feel like they’re at the level required to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City over the course of thirty-eight games. I think they can be a bit vulnerable at times defensively and that will hold them back.
“After last season, this is what they needed to get everyone back on board and feeling positive about the direction the club was moving in. This is a new chapter for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp and he’s focussed on moving forward.”
However, he added: “It’s good to see Darwin Nunez doing better. I always thought there was a top striker in there and we’re starting to see that this season.”
“I don’t think that Darwin ever struggled with the rigours of the Premier League. He is a physical player that puts himself about. He has great strength. I always felt that he got a bit overexcited at times last season when he was in front of goal.
“I don’t think he has completely eradicated that from his game – you can still see that is there at times, but he does look more comfortable and settled. Scoring goals and demonstrating his value will have helped him massively. He’ll feel more part of the team now than he did in his first season having had that time to settle in.
“There won’t be one centre back in the Premier League who will enjoying playing against him this season. He’s unpredictable in his movement and he’s strong enough to knock most defenders off the ball. You’ll have to be on your game to control him.”