
Liverpool
Premier League • England
Alan Shearer names one crucial Liverpool problem that’ll stop title charge, but Lineker backs Reds success

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer believes Jurgen Klopp’s defence will stop Liverpool from seriously challenging Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League title this season, though Gary Lineker has disagreed and stated that the Reds will be ‘right up there’.
Liverpool are aiming to get back in the mix for the Prem crown this campaign after having finished fifth in the league last term. The season before, Klopp’s men pushed City all the way and finished just one point behind Pep Guardiola’s eventual champions.
Liverpool started the 2023-24 season in great form, winning seven matches in a row after being held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea in their first outing. But that winning run was brutally ended when Tottenham picked up a controversial 2-1 victory in North London on September 30.
Both of Liverpool’s red cards were contentious, while PGMOL later admitted that Luis Diaz’s goal – which was ruled out for an apparent offside – should have counted.
Despite that frustrating result, Liverpool bounced back by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 in the Europa League, while they also played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Brighton on Sunday.
In a recent episode of The Rest is Football podcast, pundits Shearer, Lineker and Micah Richards discussed which teams will be in the hunt for the title.
When asked whether Spurs can keep up their momentum for the full season, Richards replied: “I don’t think so. Only because if they get a big injury, you have to change the way they play and they don’t have the quality to come in. Whereas at Manchester City, or even Arsenal now, they have more experience of what it takes at that stage of the season.”
Lineker then backed Liverpool to keep up with City and Arsenal for the long run. “And Liverpool too probably. They are right up there,” he added.
Liverpool ‘have bought well’, says Gary Lineker
“I know they didn’t quite manage to win [vs Brighton], but they have some good players. They seem to have bought well.”
However, Shearer disagreed, naming defence as the one area Liverpool are lagging behind in.
“[I am] not sure about them defensively though. I am not changing my mind,” he said.
“I think it will be a two-horse race between Arsenal and Manchester City. I think they [Liverpool] might stay up there for a while, but come the end of the season I think it will be those two.”
Virgil van Dijk and Co will be aiming to prove Shearer wrong when they return to Liverpool action after the international break. Liverpool face local rivals Everton on October 21, and then play French side Toulouse in the Europa League on October 26 before roundig off the month with a clash against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Meanwhile, the next Liverpool midfield exit is taking shape, with Barcelona now being linked, as per reports.