Roy Keane: Manchester United can snatch Premier League crown from ‘sloppy’ Liverpool
Roy Keane has branded Liverpool ‘sloppy’ and thinks that ‘five to six teams’ can challenge for the Premier League title – but the former Manchester United legend still believes Jurgen Klopp’s side are in the driving seat as they look to defend their crown.
The Reds were the dominant force in England’s top flight last season, collecting 99 points and winning the division by a mammoth 18 points from Manchester City, who had been champions for the previous two seasons.
Liverpool lead the way again this term. However, they have already failed to win more league games in 2020-21 than during the whole of their title-winning campaign and Man United’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa has put the Red Devils level on points with their long-time adversaries and means that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have picked up 26 points from the last 30 available.
Roy Keane called Liverpool ‘sloppy’ on Super Sunday and thinks his old side can overtake them
The Reds’ draw at Newcastle was the seventh league match they have failed to win this season
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday ahead of Newcastle v Leicester, Keane felt that Klopp’s men are there to be shot at when asked which clubs would challenge for the title.
‘There’s a few,’ he said. ‘Liverpool are the strongest, they’ve been slacking off, a bit sloppy. United have sorted out their home form. Tottenham had a good home win yesterday. You can’t write Man City off.
‘We’ve criticised them recently because they’ve set such high standards over the years. But there are five to six teams who can challenge.
‘[United], if they keep winning football matches. We were really critical at the start of the season. Their home form was so bad, it was shocking. Some of their performances and results.
‘But away from home they were fantastic. Even their last few victories, a bit of luck – penalty against Villa, injury-time winner against Wolves. They’ll be getting confidence and belief they can at least challenge Liverpool.’
Manchester City will move fifth if they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge later on Sunday and will still have a game in hand on their near neighbours and Liverpool and be just four points behind the pair.
However, six of Pep Guardiola’s players are self-isolating due to Covid-19, with more tests planned for Monday ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against United at Old Trafford.
Manchester United snuck past Aston Villa on Friday and are unbeaten in 10 league matches
Manchester City can close the gap at the top to four points if they defeat Chelsea on Sunday
The Blues meanwhile would muscle their way back into the top four with a win over City, with Keane acknowledging that manager Frank Lampard is ‘under huge pressure’ after Chelsea picked up just four points from their last five league games, a run which included away defeats to Arsenal, Wolves and Everton.
If Chelsea fail to win, Tottenham will hang on to fourth spot and Jose Mourinho’s men got off to a good start in 2021 with a convincing 3-0 win over Leeds, having not taken three points since their north London derby triumph against Arsenal on December 6.
January will see a number of grudge matches between the six main contenders, with the top two playing each other at Anfield on January 17 before Leicester host Chelsea two days later and Tottenham and Liverpool clash on January 28.
