Liverpool can only be title favourites if this one thing happens, says ex-Red

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Former Liverpool star Emile Heskey believes his old club could be the favourites for the Premier League title this season, as long as they can keep their best XI fit.

The pundit believes Liverpool have a superb starting line up when everyone’s available, but the edge Manchester City have stems from their better strength in depth throughout their squad.

Liverpool won the title comfortably in the 2019/20 season, but let their high standards drop last term as they dropped to third in the table, with City taking the trophy.

Liverpool fans will be desperate to see their club come out on top once again, but Heskey has made it clear that they will surely only be able to do it if they can remain injury-free.

Last season, Virgil van Dijk’s lengthy absence was a huge blow for LFC, and some fans might well feel that Jurgen Klopp has once again gone into this campaign with too thin a squad.

“The key for Liverpool is can they keep their starting XI fit? If they keep their starting XI fit, this is a title-winning team,” Heskey said on the Seaman Says podcast.

“This is the fascinating thing with Manchester City. When you take players out of Man City, they still play the same way and I think it’s the only team in the league where you see that and they play the same way.

“You bring [Riyad] Mahrez out, you can put [Phil] Foden out there. Bring Foden out, you can put Raheem [Sterling] out there. Bring out Raheem and you can put [Gabriel] Jesus out there and they still play exactly the same way. They still make exactly the same runs.

“When you take Salah, Mane and Firmino out of the Liverpool team, it looks different and they have to adapt.

“City are the only team that don’t adapt and they play exactly the same way. But again, if Liverpool keep the same starting XI, I think that’s a title-winning team.”

More Stories David Seaman Emile Heskey Jurgen Klopp