Roy Keane issues blunt verdict on Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes after ‘weak’ loss at Man City | OneFootball

Roy Keane said Liverpool are no longer in the Premier League title race after a chastening defeat by Manchester City left them eight points behind leaders Arsenal after 11 games.

Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and the sensational Jeremy Doku got the goals in a 3-0 win as City moved to be only four points off the Gunners, who have 26, ahead of the international break.

Liverpool were flat, particularly in the first half, and looked well off the pace they set as last season’s runaway champions. They lie eighth in the table, level with Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Manchester United and fifth-placed Tottenham on 18 points. Chelsea are third in with 20 points and Sunderland are fourth with 19 going into the Premier League’s two-week break.

And Keane thinks the gap, and Liverpool’s poor form,

"You can't be considering Liverpool for the title,” said Keane, speaking on Sky Sports. "That was a sore defeat. But this reminded me of City of old. They were outstanding. They are back in the mix."

Liverpool were briefly buoyed this week by wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, but defeat by City means they have lost seven of their past 10 games.

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"I think it is crisis time for Liverpool,” said Keane. “It's OK to lose to a club like Man City - it's a tough place to come – but to lose seven in 10, five league losses already, that has to be a crisis for a club like Liverpool.

"I thought Liverpool looked like a really weak team today. The manager said he was pleased with the second half, but the game was over. It's easy to play well when you're not playing for anything.”

He added: “I thought [Slot's] assessment of the game was spot on. City looked stronger, technically better and more physical than Liverpool today. [Liverpool] still had moments, they've always got quality, but the goals they're giving away – their decision making – was not good enough. There was a lack of intensity, a lack of energy. The subs, when they came on, looked really soft.

"I think it is a crisis for Liverpool."

Liverpool's £100m summer signing Florian Wirtz has come under scrutiny for his form since joining from Bayer Leverkusen and, despite impressing in the midweek Champions League win over Real Madrid, he struggled again.

Former City defender Micah Richards feels the playmaker has created an unwanted issue for Slot.

"Today we didn't see Wirtz again and that becomes a problem for the manager," he said. "If you are bought for that amount of money, regardless from what league you are coming from, you should be showing more than he is showing now. You get bought for that money to show up in big games."