Jamie Carragher has questioned Liverpool’s Champions League credentials, insisting the club still have a “long road ahead” after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
The Reds conceded a fourth stoppage-time goal of the season despite Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning opener, with two late strikes from Pep Guardiola’s side sealing the win and denting Liverpool’s top-four hopes.
The loss leaves Liverpool five points behind Manchester United and four adrift of Chelsea.
While finishing fifth could still secure Champions League qualification due to England’s strong coefficient ranking, Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool’s lack of balance and control in games could prove costly.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the footballer-turned pundit e said: “I think Man City were by far the better team in the first half. I think Liverpool had a spell in the second half, I think, for probably 20-25 minutes where they looked like they had Man City on the rack.
“I don’t think Liverpool deserved to win. Maybe you could argue a draw would have been maybe a fair result.
“Big mistakes again that’s the fourth time now this season they’ve conceded a 90th minute winner. So it’s not a one-off, it happens all the time. I’d be interested to see what the manager says, but the manager’s taken a lot of criticism from Liverpool supporters this season, and some of it warranted.
“If you notice, we’re in the third stage of Liverpool this season. So the start of the season, Liverpool games were all like that and it was end to end, they were being very lucky and you’re winning in the last minute. Then they had the thing where the manager thought; ‘This has to stop’.
“They were in a spell of losing nine games in 12, and then he went more defensive, more pragmatic. Then the Salah thing blows up. Then Liverpool start getting results, not winning a lot of games, but not losing too many.
“But it’s boring, you’re coming to Anfield and no-one’s getting excited so there’s criticism on the back of that. Now, we’ve come back sort of the last few weeks – let’s say since Mo Salah’s come back from the African Cup of Nations – Liverpool have played a front four and that was my worry today. “
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