Gary Neville not 'convinced' Liverpool can become 'champions' despite proving him wrong

Liverpool is flying high at the top of the Premier League after making a dream start under new head coach Arne Slot, but Manchester United legend Gary Neville hasn't been convinced by the performances.

The Reds are two points clear of champions Manchester City and seven ahead of Arsenal, who many fans expected to make a serious title challenge this season. It's still early into the campaign, but Liverpool has won eight of its opening 10 Premier League games and is yet to lose in any cup competitions including the Champions League.

It's been a better start than most Liverpool fans imagined, as there was initially a fear of the unknown after former head coach Jurgen Klopp left the club at the end of last season after nine successful years. However, Neville isn't convinced Liverpool can challenge for the Premier League title and expects both Arsenal and City to compete toward the end of the season.

"I think it's been an unbelievable start for Arne Slot, he could never have imagined that it would have gone as well as it has," Neville said on the latest episode of 'It's Called Soccer!' "There is part of me that still wants to get to January/February. Part of me still wants to see that end of the first round of games.

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"Part of me thinks in the games that I've particularly watched them, they were really good at Old Trafford so I thought they were fantastic in that game. But when I watched them at Wolves, the Chelsea game, I wasn't wholly convinced.

"They got the job done, just like they did against Brighton on Saturday, so they're getting the job done in certain games. But I don't feel like I'm watching a champion team."

Neville believes that while Liverpool has started well, both City and Arsenal haven't performed to the levels everyone was expecting. The eight-time Premier League winner expects both teams to find their rhythm and knock Liverpool off top spot in the coming months.

Despite this claim, Neville originally predicted that Liverpool would finish outside the top four, and has admitted he's been proven wrong. "I never change my predictions at this stage of the season," Neville added. My predictions were that Liverpool wouldn't even be in the top four.

"That has to change because they've done a far better job of settling Arne Slot in than I imagined and getting over the Jurgen Klopp exit. But I do think that City and Arsenal will hit their stride at some point and that they will hit their form. At that point, they will prove to still be the best two teams in the country.

"I don't feel like I'm watching a champion team, however, if City and Arsenal, if this is the real City and Arsenal that we are going to see all season and they're going to be as inconsistent as they have been in these first ten games, then we could end up with a shock. They're the only other team that can win it, but I still think it's an outside bet."