Manchester City face a fight just to finish in the top four this season, believes Jamie Carragher, after defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds picked up a dominant 2-0 win over the champions thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, missing a number of great chances to make it an even more comfortable victory.
Arne Slot’s team go nine points clear at the top of teh Premier League table and 11 points ahead of City, who now sit fifth, below Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now lost four Premier League games on the spin and have been beaten in six of their last seven matches in all competitions.
Carragher reckons City will find it difficult to finish above Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea this season if they don’t fix their midfield issues in the January transfer market.
Rodri being out for the season with a serious knee injury and Mateo Kovacic currently also out injured has left City looking very weak in the middle of the park and Carragher feels Guardiola can do nothing about it without new players.
‘I think it’s almost a mini crisis for Man City,’ the Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports.
‘I think it’s reminiscent of Liverpool two years ago. I actually think Man City have a fight on their hands for top four.
‘I look at Arsenal and Chelsea and the way they’re looking right now, I think it will be difficult for Man City to finish above them if they don’t go into the market in January.
‘I go back a couple of years to the year Manchester City won the treble, Liverpool went to the Etihad in about April and got beat 4-1 and it could have been six or seven, they got absolutely battered. You felt like it was the end of the Jurgen Klopp team but what it was was the end of the midfield. It was [Jordan] Henderson and Fabinho at the time.
‘No matter how good a manager you are you can’t fix that. I don’t think Pep can fix that in terms of midfield. You need the right players in there.
‘Right now I could see Manchester City losing another four or five games between now and the end of the season. I look at the energy Arsenal have got and the energy and young players Chelsea have got, I think it will be difficult for Manchester City to finish above either of them.’
Guardiola fielded Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Rico Lewis at times in the middle of the pitch against Manchester City and Carragher feels it is not good enough to challenge for the title.
‘When there’s a lack of energy in there and everyone thinks you’re vulnerable,’ Carragher said.
‘Manchester City in the second half had Bernardo Silva and Rico Lewis in central midfield. That’s nowhere near enough. I don’t think they’ll finish above Arsenal or Chelsea.’