Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has explained why he thinks Liverpool will miss out on a top four finish.
The Reds are battling to achieve qualification for next season’s Champions League. Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently in sixth place in the Premier League table as we enter the second half of the campaign.
Last week’s disappointing defeat to Brentford leaves Liverpool seven points adrift of the top four places. Manchester United currently occupy the fourth spot, while Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle are in the other Champions League positions.
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Liverpool are yet to play half of their Premier League fixtures this season, but Sagna believes that the Reds are not going to qualify for Europe next season. The former defender believes the exit of Sadio Mane has played a key role in his reasoning why Liverpool would not finish in the top four.
"I think Liverpool are a team that have shone for years,” Sagna told Lord Ping. “They lost Mane, a major player for them, and the way they started the season was terrible.
“This decline always happens to teams that have been at the top for such a long time, at some points you need to rebuild the team. When some players leave, you need a restart. It seems like they are trying to find their way again. They are doing a bit better but they are too far away from the top four.
"I think it is a similar situation at Chelsea. There were a lot of changes at the club this season, and the new owners changed the manager. They have lost a lot of points already and they keep dropping points - I can’t see them challenging for the Champions League places this season.
"Newcastle is a young squad. They are doing well but are they going to be able to cope with the pressure of maintaining their current form? I’m not sure they will be able to this season."
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