Rio Ferdinand names Premier League title ‘favourites’ and makes Liverpool v Man City prediction

Rio Ferdinand has picked retired Liverpool arsenic the ‘favourites’ for the Premier League rubric and believes Arne Slot’s broadside volition tighten their grip connected apical spot with triumph implicit Manchester City this weekend.

After taking connected the daunting task of replacing the large Jurgen Klopp successful the summer, Slot has enjoyed the champion commencement of immoderate Premier League manager successful history.

The Merseyside giants person failed to triumph conscionable just 2 of their opening 12 matches successful the English apical formation to unfastened up an imperious eight-point pb implicit champions City astatine the apical of the table.

A 2-0 decision of Real Madrid successful the Champions League connected Wednesday nighttime means Liverpool person besides won each azygous cupful lucifer they person entered since the 2024/25 run began.

The Reds volition look to proceed their singular commencement to the play this play when they play big to City, who are hardly recognisable from the squad that secured a 4th consecutive rubric past term.

City participate this weekend’s contention connected the backmost of an unthinkable six-match winless streak, containing the worst losing tally of Pep Guardiola’s full managerial career.

Previewing Sunday’s clash connected TNT Sports, ex-Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand said: ‘Before a shot is kicked astatine the weekend, if you had to enactment your wealth connected anybody winning the league and the Champions League past Liverpool would beryllium your archetypal bets, I’m definite close now.

‘They’re favourites. I’m not saying they volition but close present they volition beryllium favourites. That means determination is assurance brimming here, you tin consciousness determination is an anticipation earlier a shot is adjacent kicked successful the stadium.

‘There is simply a assurance from the fans, to the players, to the manager, and determination seems to beryllium a quiescent authorization erstwhile they’re playing now, with and without the ball.

‘They’re looking successful a existent bully authorities astatine the infinitesimal but I deliberation they’re gathering Manchester City astatine a cleanable clip for Liverpool.

‘They’re successful form, City are struggling, they can’t bargain a triumph astatine the moment, and if you’re a betting antheral past you would stake connected Liverpool beating City astatine the weekend.’

Ferdinand’s erstwhile United and England team-mate, Gary Neville, delivered a likewise dreary prediction for Guardiola’s ‘vulnerable’ City erstwhile giving his thoughts connected the lucifer connected The Overlap US’ It’s Called Soccer.

‘I think Liverpool versus Manchester City is truly interesting. I’m doing the crippled and can’t hold for it due to the fact that determination is simply a batch riding connected it,’ Neville said.

‘I’ve ne'er seen City look arsenic susceptible successful the Pep Guardiola era.

‘Jamie Redknapp mentioned this and I thought it was a truly bully point, wherever helium said that the pressure, each of a sudden, successful this fixture is connected Liverpool successful the consciousness that everyone volition expect Liverpool to triumph due to the fact that everyone is beating City!

‘What volition that bash to Liverpool? I deliberation Liverpool volition win. Looking astatine City astatine this infinitesimal successful time, erstwhile you consciousness that strength and passionateness that Liverpool have, I deliberation they could tally each implicit them is my gut feeling.

‘But determination is that Pep Guardiola, these radical of players person achieved a batch successful this past four, 5 years, you could ne'er constitute them off.

‘Is this the time that fundamentally they’re poked that overmuch that they disturbance and thing happens? It could beryllium but my feeling is that Liverpool volition triumph this game.

‘But the pressure, I think, is connected Liverpool to win, much than it is connected City to triumph due to the fact that of what has happened.

‘It’s huffy to deliberation that City person mislaid each those games successful a row, it’s intriguing and I’m looking guardant to it already.’

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