Liverpool now have the edge over Manchester City in the Premier League title race, according to Graeme Souness.
Opened a five-point gap to defending champions Manchester City over the weekend following Pep Guardiola’s side fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat at Carrow Road on Saturday.
Aymeric Laporte’s absence, that faces up to six months out, has proven costly with Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones both fighting .
If asked if Laporte’s lack gives Liverpool the edge in the title race, then Souness told Sky Sports News:”I think so. With Laporte’s injury I presumed City could find it hard against the better teams. On the weekend, they did some on these with all due respect to Norwich.
“I believed they’d get in many games against better teams they’d find it hard to defend and also get caught out.
It is not a huge advantage, you need to keep in mind that we are nevertheless in September but blood has gone to Liverpool. They have momentum and no one is asking any questions of them all eyes are on City.”
Souness feels that the aggressive execution culture instilled by Klopp at Anfield is bringing the best from Liverpool’s players.
“They are a team I do not think anyone loves playing against because they’re aggressive and they examine every part of your game using the physicality and technique all of them have,” he added.
“They play as a group. It’s unusual in the modern game but they have players that are prepared to point fingers at team-mates if they aren’t at it. That makes them very strong.
“They are the group that no one likes playing against, folks will say that roughly City in a different manner. You have to be in your very best against them.”
Stones should be given a opportunity to have an elongated run in Guardiola by laporte’s absence.
Souness believes that the England international has the capability when he can improve his decision making, to be one of the best defenders in Europe.
“[City] have to hope Stones and Otamendi may form a venture.
“I believe Stones is just overlooking something, whether it’s his decision? He’s got the potential to be the very best, better than all of them other than [Virgil] van Dijk.
“He needs to get his decision place on, whether he has that City could have among the greatest centre-halves from the nation, maybe away from the nation.”
Graeme Souness was talking on behalf of this The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK during the Bobby Moore Charity Golf Day. Of the proceeds are spent on committed gut cancer research from Cancer Research UK.
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