“I think there’s going to be two better teams than Liverpool this year” – Ben Foster makes bold claim about Premier League title race
Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster believes Manchester City and Chelsea will finish above Liverpool in the Premier League next season. Foster feels the Reds will miss Sadio Mane, with the winger joining Bayern Munich earlier this summer.
However, it is worth noting that he wrongly predicted that Jurgen Klopp's side would finish fourth in the league last season. They went on to finish second, just a point behind City. The Reds also lifted both the FA Cup and EFL Cup in addition to making the UEFA Champions League final.
Foster believes Liverpool deserve credit for their accomplishments last season. He said on his "The Cycling GK" YouTube channel (as quoted by the Liverpool Echo):
"I just thought the season before they'd give their all and I thought they'd die off last season - they didn't die off last season they were up there all the way, live and kicking till the very last game of the season."
However, the 39-year-old also added that there will be two teams that are better than the Reds in the Premier League:
"I think it's understandable I put them fourth last season, this season I'm going to go for third. I think there's going to be two better teams than Liverpool this year."
'I just can't' - Ben Foster downplays Liverpool's title chances as Reds tipped to finish behind Chelsea #LFC
liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football…
Foster concluded:
"I think losing Sadio Mane, I think they're in a little bit of a transition period, I can't see them trying to be up there and about winning the Premier League - I just can't. I still think they'll do decent, third position."
The Englishman believes City will be crowned champions once again, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur completing the top four in that order. He backed Arsenal to end the season in fifth position while predicting a sixth-place finish for his former side Manchester United.
How have Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea fared in this summer's transfer window?
Many fans expected Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea to be involved in a three-horse race to claim the Premier League summit last season. However, the Blues failed to make a sustained challenge and slipped away to exit the title picture.
Chelsea will undoubtedly want to make amends next season and have made a couple of headline signings. Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have joined the club, with Jules Kounde reportedly close to signing with the Blues (as per The Telegraph).
Kounde set to become Chelsea's third summer signing in a deal that could give Azpilicueta the green light to go #cfc telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/…
However, they have lost Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Romelu Lukaku (on loan).
The Reds, meanwhile, have also seen some key departures, with Mane, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Neco Williams exiting the club. They have brought in Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay to bolster their ranks.
Manchester City have endured arguably the busiest summer of the trio. Pep Guardiola's side bid goodbye to Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho and Sterling, with Oleksandr Zinchenko also on the verge of departing the Etihad.
To replace them, City have brought in Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips and Julian Alvarez. They are also trying to strike a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion full-back Marc Cucurella, as per Fabrizio Romano.