Jamie Carragher has backed Liverpool to finish in the top four this season despite their concerning start to the campaign.
The Anfield outfit has won just four of their opening 12 Premier League games and is already eight points adrift of Newcastle who occupy the final Champions League spot at the moment.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has lost back-to-back league games against Nottingham Forest and Leeds United but the ex-Red still believes they’ll pip Chelsea and Manchester United to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
“I think the north London clubs [Arsenal and Tottenham] will both get in it now, I really do believe that,” he told the Daily Mirror (via the Metro).
“I have loved watching Arsenal, they’ve almost been my favourite team to watch this season.
“I think Liverpool will get in there ahead of Chelsea and Man United and then the two north London clubs will be alongside Man City.
“But I think it will be a fight that goes right down to the wire and as a Liverpool supporter if you offered me fourth now I would bite your hand off.
“I think Liverpool are in a right fight for that and they could easily finish sixth. But I do think Liverpool will stick in there and I do think in that second-half of the season we’ve got to see the Liverpool of old at some stage.
“When Liverpool get back to that it is too much for everybody else in this league, except Man City. But if they don’t get back to that consistency it’s going to be tough for them.”
Arsenal are playing well this season and are the current pace setters in the league having won all but two of their 12 games.
It appears that the Gunners and Manchester City are looking likely to finish in the top four meaning that there may only be two spaces available for the likes of us, Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs to fight for.
Newcastle are doing well but the question is, can they continue this impressive form?
It’s important to remember that we’re only in November and we still have the World Cup to come later this month so there’s still a long way to go.
There’s no denying that our start to the campaign has been lacklustre but with the likes of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota hopefully back fit in the new year and the opportunity to strengthen the squad in January, there’s no reason why this season can’t be a successful one.