Paul Merson has explained why Liverpool will have a “worry” about competing with Manchester City for the Premier League title again this season.
Liverpool will be looking to go one better in 2022-23 after missing out on top spot in 2021-22 to City by a single point. But both teams will have new looks once the campaign kicks off next month.
At Anfield, Sadio Mane has departed after six years with the Reds, effectively to be replaced by Darwin Nunez. Over at the Etihad, Raheem Sterling has moved on to Chelsea but Erling Haaland has arrived from Borussia Dortmund.
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But Arsenal legend Merson believes City will have the edge. “I think Manchester City will win the Premier League, but I have to say it's not as much of a foregone conclusion as others make it out to be,” he wrote for Sportskeeda .
“Erling Haaland's arrival is obviously a massive boost for Pep Guardiola, but it's not the end of it with Liverpool still very much in the running. With the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, Manchester City have lost at least 30 Premier League goals between the pair and that could turn out to be a huge problem for them.
“The only worry for Liverpool, on the other hand, is that they've lost an unbelievable player in Sadio Mane, who scored big goals for them over the years. They'll have to rely on Darwin Nunez to settle as quickly as Luis Diaz did, which is obviously a long shot because the Colombian took to English football like a duck to water. If Jurgen Klopp can get Nunez firing immediately, it'll be tight once again, but if that doesn't happen, I think Manchester City should win the Premier League.”
Merson went on to offer his prediction for the Premier League Golden Boot. Reds hero Mohamed Salah jointly won last season’s award alongside Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min. But neither are the Sky Sports pundit's pick.
“I always go for Harry Kane when someone asks me to predict the winner of the Golden Boot because he's some player,” said Merson. “He had three league goals last season until December but ended up finishing just four shy of Mohamed Salah and Heung-min Son, who shared the Golden Boot with 23 goals apiece. The only issue is that Kane might not play every game this season due to a number of reasons.
“For starters, his injury-record doesn't make for good reading and to make matters worse, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is coming up in December, so he could well be rested to stay fit for the whole season. Additionally, the arrival of Richarlison could see Antonio Conte rotate his star man, so it'll be really interesting to see how this one pans out.
“Erling Haaland obviously deserves a mention and is likely to be up there fighting for the Golden Boot, while Gabriel Jesus could relish being the protagonist at Arsenal. The Gunners always create chances, so the Brazilian could be one to watch out for. Liverpool's Darwin Nunez also has to be up there, doesn't he? I'm intrigued to see how this lad turns out, because I haven't seen much of him so far. Is he as good as his price tag suggests? Only time will tell.
“Mohamed Salah will also be up there, as he always is. He signed a long-term deal with Liverpool and already has three Premier League Golden Boots to his name. Who is to say he doesn't have another one left in him?”
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