Michael Owen says Arsenal and Manchester City should be ‘fearful’ of Liverpool, who he still rates as the ‘best team in the world’ when they are at their best.
Liverpool won the Premier League by ten points last season and were widely tipped to retain the title after an incredible spending spree over the summer.
But Arne Slot’s side appear to have already dropped out of the title race after a shocking first-half to the season in which they have lost ten games in all competitions.
A hugely underwhelming title defence has left Liverpool sixth in the Premier League, ten points behind early pacesetters Arsenal.
Liverpool do appear to have turned a corner, however, going five games without defeat since an alarming 4-1 Champions League loss at home to PSV at the end of November.
Get your football fix
Punchy analysis, transfer talk and more from Metro's football experts sent straight to your inbox – sign up, it's an open goal.
While Owen says his boyhood club Liverpool are ‘not at their best’, he insists they remain a ‘seriously good team’ who the two title favourites – Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s Man City – should ‘fear’.
Owen expects Slot’s Liverpool to be ‘title contenders’ for the rest of the decade and claims they are still ‘the best team in the world’ when at their ‘absolute peak’.
‘Obviously, they’re not playing their very best,’ Owen said on Premier League Productions when asked about Liverpool’s form. ‘They have done in patches but have not been consistently very good.
‘I do feel at the moment, they need to score the first goal because they are quite vulnerable and conceded chances.
‘The confidence of keeping a clean sheet and winning another game after going away in Europe playing a tricky game… this is a seriously good team.
Can Liverpool still win the Premier League?
-
There's still a chance...
-
No way!
‘If everyone plays at their absolute peak, I still think Liverpool are the best team in the world. I do.
‘They are obviously not showing it regularly but they won the league at a canter last year and they have signed incredible players, invested for the future and these players are going to come good.
‘This is a team that aren’t going to go away and are going to be title contenders for the next five years. As much as they’re not playing very well, you’ve still got to be fearful of Liverpool.
‘They have beaten Arsenal, Aston Villa and have gone away in Europe and are doing well in the Champions League.
‘Everyone is talking about this disaster but they’re top six and fleeing high in the Champions League. It is not a disaster yet and there is a long way to go and these new signings are only going to get better.’
One of Liverpool’s biggest issues this season has been the underwhelming form of two hugely expensive summer signings.
Liverpool record signing Alexander Isak, bought for £125m, has only scored two goals for his new club, while £115m recruit Florian Wirtz is yet to show his best form at Anfield.
But Owen insists Wirtz is ‘only going to get better’ and believes he could develop into a ‘special’ player for the reigning Premier League champions.
‘He is only going to get better,’ Owen added. ‘He is so talented and gradually he’s getting there.
‘You see a couple of things he does and you go, “Oh my word, this guy”. If he could do more of it then we’re going to be watching something pretty special in the future.
‘He’s going to get better so there’s lots to be positive about. Liverpool aren’t purring at the moment but they will be soon, there’s no doubt about it.’
Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 on Saturday and return to Premier League action next weekend against inconsistent Tottenham.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
