Speaking on The Overlap, Gary Neville has tipped Liverpool to finish outside of the top four for the first time in five years.
The Reds have been Champions League regulars for half a decade now, but according to Neville, their run of consecutive top four finishes is about to come to an end.
The pundit says that he doesn’t think Liverpool will get a Champions League spot. However, he did caveat his prediction with the fact that this season is unlike any other due to the World Cup and the recent break in play due to the death of The Queen.
Neville’s Liverpool prediction
The pundit gave his honest prediction on where the Reds will finish.
“I don’t think Liverpool will finish in the top four,” Neville said.
“But this season is a marathon more than most, and the momentum will keep swinging back and forward – the Queen’s passing, the World Cup – it’s a disrupted season. Nothing has really got started yet, and coming back from the World Cup everything could be completely different.”
Not hard to see
As brilliant as Liverpool can be, it’s not difficult to envisage a reality where they do finish outside of the top four this season.
Arsenal and Manchester City seem to be already locked in as two of the top four, while Tottenham remain just four points off the top of the table.
Chelsea are currently fourth and have improved under Graham Potter, and while Manchester United have blown hot and cold, they’re always contenders.
Liverpool do seem to be in a rut right now, and injuries are a problem, but they do remain only six points off the top four, so a run of a few consecutive wins would completely change this conversation.
Whether or not Liverpool do qualify for the Champions League remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn’t look as though they’re going to mount a title challenge this time around.
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