Ex-Liverpool star backing City for title
AFTER a record-breaking Premier League season, it is hard to see any side competing with City ahead of the new campaign.
It is unfair to expect the same incredible levels of domestic dominance from Pep Guardiola’s side this season, but even with a slump they could still be miles ahead of their opponents.
Liverpool are widely tipped to be the Blues’ greatest challengers.
Jurgen Klopp’s side inflicted three of City’s seven defeats last season and have recruited heavily in the summer transfer window.
But is the overhaul really enough to bridge the 25-point gap this season? Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy doesn’t think so.
While he acknowledges the Anfield club have recruited well, he expects City to retain the title and claims only two Liverpool players would make it into the current Blues side.
“Fabinho, Keita, Alisson are all good players and they give Liverpool strength in depth and competition for places,” he said.
“But would any of those players get in City’s team? [Mohamed] Salah and [Virgil] Van Dijk would get in City’s team. Other than that, probably no others [would].
“You can’t base your transfer policy on buying better players than City have. It is nearly impossible. You can’t buy a better player than [Kevin] De Bruyne in midfield, so you have to compete in a different way. What I like that Klopp has done is he has signed quality where he has needed it – the middle of the park they were lacking – there is great competition for places and he did it early.”