January 6th 2025.
Jamie Carragher, a well-respected Liverpool legend, recently expressed his concerns about the club's chances of winning the Premier League title. Despite their impressive seven-point lead at the top of the table, Carragher believes there is still "one thing" that could prevent them from clinching their 20th league title, and it all boils down to their defensive weaknesses.
Although Arsenal, their closest title challengers, dropped points against Brighton on Saturday, Liverpool failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity as they were held to a draw by Manchester United, a struggling team who had lost their previous four games. Even though Liverpool's opponents, Arne Slot's side, looked set to extend their lead in the title race after recovering from a superb goal by Lisandro Martinez, Manchester United managed to secure a well-earned point with an 80th-minute equalizer by Amad Diallo. They even had a chance to snatch a late winner, but Harry Maguire's shot went over the bar in the dying seconds.
For Carragher, this thrilling 2-2 draw was a reminder that while Liverpool may have pulled clear at the top of the table, they do not have the best defense in the league. He specifically pointed out their fragility in the full-back areas, which could ultimately prevent them from winning the league.
Carragher believes that left-back Andy Robertson is "hanging on for dear life" and also criticized right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance against Manchester United, suggesting that the ongoing speculation about a potential move to Real Madrid may have affected him. It has been reported that the La Liga giants are considering making a second offer for Alexander-Arnold after their initial bid was rejected over the weekend.
During an appearance on Gary Neville's Sky Sports podcast, Carragher expressed his concerns, saying, "People always have a go at Trent defensively and that won't change, but if the speculation does affect him, which it looked like it did today, Liverpool will have to change it." He also added, "Arsenal are better than Liverpool defensively, while Liverpool excel in attacking and creating chances. However, their full-back areas are a cause for concern. Robertson, who has been a legend for the club, seems to be struggling and just a step behind, while Trent's problems on the other side put a lot of pressure on the central defenders. Today, Van Dijk saved Liverpool multiple times, but it seems like he's having to work too hard. And that's the one thing that could stop Liverpool from winning the league - their vulnerabilities in the full-back areas."
Given Carragher's worries, he hopes that his former club will use the January transfer window to strengthen their defensive options. "Liverpool looked really strong defensively earlier in the season, but they have started to concede goals, and that's my worry with the team and the full-back areas," he stated. "It doesn't seem like they have any plans to make any signings, but in my opinion, Liverpool still need to buy a defender in January."
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