Jamie Carragher spots major Arne Slot change that gives Liverpool title advantage over Man City

Jamie Carragher feels Liverpool has a better squad than Manchester City this season, with one Arne Slot change making a crucial difference.

The Reds hold a five-point lead over City as the final international break of 2024 gets underway. Liverpool took full advantage of Pep Guardiola’s side slipping up again at Brighton last weekend to widen the gap at the top of the Premier League.

City went through an uncharacteristic slump before the break, losing four games in a row in all competitions as they lost ground in the league and Champions League, as well as being knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

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The defending champions have been affected by injuries to key players recently, not least Rodri, with the Ballon d’Or winner looking set to be out for the rest of the season. Roy Keane feels the Spaniard’s absence may have swayed the title race in Liverpool’s favor.

By contrast, Slot has largely been able to call upon his first-choice players in most games so far, with just a few injuries to the likes of Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota disrupting things. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Carragher believes the arrival of Liverpool’s new head coach had made a big difference.

“The big thing with Liverpool is that they didn’t buy anyone last summer,” Carragher said. “They were top of the league last year with six games to go, and they lost at home to Crystal Palace on the same day that Arsenal lost to Aston Villa.

“The injuries Liverpool had last season were off the scale – remember the Carabao Cup final, where the kids were coming on – and there was constant change. But because of the way the new guy [Arne Slot] trains, it's not as end-to-end, and less players are getting injured.

“I would say Manchester City have the best team, the best 18 – but Liverpool have the best 22. They have five forwards who probably all think they should play and have got decent backup in positions. In terms of not bringing anyone in, it hasn’t mattered because they haven’t had many injuries.

“Arsenal are talking now about injuries – but they haven’t had many in two or three years. It’s always been about eight or nine of their starting XI playing every single game.”

There is of course a long way to go in the season, and Liverpool faces a crucial run of games when it returns from the international break. After a trip to Southampton, the Reds host Real Madrid and City in the Champions League and Premier League respectively, before heading back out on the road to Newcastle and Everton.