Ex Man utd legend Gary Neville said that Liverpool could be one of the best teams as the title contenders in the Premier League if Liverpool had Rice with them. Declan Rice joined Arsenal at a record transfer fee last transfer window. Currently, Arsenal is in the third position in the points table. However, Neville said that if Liverpool had Declan Rice with them, then the situation would have been quite different.
If Liverpool had Rice in squad:
Neville was speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast after the Gunners beat Manchester City 1-0 at the Emirates to firm the leading place in the Premier League title race.
There are still some faulty points to ponder for Jurgen Klopp’s squad. And Gary Neville admitted that Liverpool could be contenders to win the title – but they may just be a little too weak in the middle of the park. And for tha reason, they need a strong midfielder like Rice.
“They could, they’re more likely to than Spurs, no doubt about that,” he told The Gary Neville Podcast. “I think Liverpool have got something about them. Today they were playing against a really good Brighton side. They’ve got an outstanding goalkeeper, Liverpool, that I always think will keep them in a lot of football matches. And they’ve got striker who can score goals, and lots of them. They’ve got a good forward line.
“The midfield, it’s attacking. Has it got the defensive stability of what we’ve seen here today, when Rodri comes back in and when you see Rice and Partey and Jorginho. Have they got that defensive stability, Liverpool? If you put Declan Rice in Liverpool’s holding midfield position, or you put Rodri in there, I’d be saying Liverpool will definitely be on for the title.”
Liverpool did not address their holding midfield issues over the summer. Alexis Mac Allister has found life difficult in the role since his move. Meanwhile, Wataru Endo has not yet established himself as a regular in Klopp’s side. Whereas, Rice has been excellent in the midfield since his very first game for Arsenal.
So it is no surprise that Neville believes that Rice could have a massive impact on this Liverpool side.
And that’s why Neville suggested that if Liverpool had Rice in their squad, it woud have been much easier for them to compete for the league title.
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