“Liverpool, for me, are not fighting for the Premier League title this season” – Agbonlahor makes bold claim about Jurgen Klopp and company after Merseyside derby
Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool will not be in the Premier League title race in the 2022-23 campaign. According to the football-turned-pundit, the Reds are primarily aiming for a top-four finish in the English top flight this season.
Liverpool dropped two more points on Saturday (September 3), with them playing out a goalless draw with local rivals Everton at Goodison Park. The draw meant that they had dropped nine points out of a possible 18 in the Premier League, marking a rather unflattering start to the campaign.
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Speaking after the match, Agbonlahor boldly claimed that Jurgen Klopp’s men lacked the winning mentality this season, adding that they’d struggle to mount a title challenge. When asked whether or not the Reds would struggle in the title race, he told talkSPORT:
“100 per cent. This is not a battle for the title. Liverpool, for me, are not fighting for the Premier League title this season. They are fighting to stay in the top four because Arsenal are on it. Spurs are on it. They know how to win games. They have that winning mentality.”
The Reds, who lost the title to Manchester City by a solitary point in the 2021-22 season, are currently in seventh place with nine points. Arsenal are at the top of the Premier League table with 15 points while City are second with 14 after gameweek six.
Agbonlahor claims something is missing at Liverpool
Gabriel Agbonlahor believes that multiple factors have contributed to Klopp’s side’s lackluster start to the season. From Sadio Mane’s sale to underperforming full-backs, the Englishman pointed to a number of things that are not going in the 19-time English champions’ favor.
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Agbonlahor added:
“There is something missing in that side. Today [game against Everton] is the sort of game where you would rely on Mane to come up with some sort of brilliance and make a goal. Mane’s runs would open up more space for Salah. Salah doesn’t look like he’s going to score and that is not like Mo Salah. He has to come out wide and find space.”
He continued:
“The midfield didn’t work. They played Fabinho as a sitter and in front of him Elliott and Carvalho. It just didn’t work for me today. At the back, Robertson was dropped, Trent got taken off after 60 minutes. Something isn’t right with that defense with Liverpool and they are dropping too many points.”