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Liverpool a bigger threat than Arsenal as Paul Scholes hails six stars with ‘wow’ factor

Dan Owen

Thu 26 September 2024 19:15, UK

It has been billed as a two-horse race between Manchester City and Arsenal but Paul Scholes feels there is another pedigree stallion to keep an eye on in Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

While it is still early days, the prospect of Jurgen Klopp’s replac🍃ement suffering the same fate that befell David Moyes and Unai Emery at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively feels increasingly fanciful.

An off-day against Nottingham Forest aside, the Arne Slot era has started better than even the most optimistic Li💫verpool fan might have dared toও imagine.

Jamie Carragher watched Liverpool hammer West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, a 5-1 ham😼mering made that little bit easier by Edson Alvarez’s foolish red card.

♈That ꧅took Slot’s record to six wins from seven, his prolific Reds side netting 18 goals along the way.

And Paul Scholes, discussing this seaso🏅n’s Premier League title race⛄ with Anfield icon Carragher, cannot shake the feeling that Liverpool could turn what some have dubbed a straight fight between Arsenal and Man City into a three-way tussle.

Paul Scholes explains why Liverpool have the edge over Arsenal

The former Manchester United midfielder believes that the forward players at Slot’s disposal c🌄ould give Liverpool the edge over Arsenal in particular.

Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota came into the team and netted twice apiece against West Ham. There was also a first Liverpoo♋l start for a cert🍰ain Italy international.

Caﷺrragher fel🌠t Federico Chiesa showed glimpses of his old Juventus best as he set up Jota to cancel out Jarre🍎l Quansah’s early own goal.

Mo Salah and Luis Diaz dropped out of Slot’s XI, meanwhile, in midweek. Add those five to the often profligate but occasionally-outstanding Darwin Nunez, and Liverpool have a frontline not only brimming with depth but also boasting an impressive array🗹 of profiles.

TBR understands that Liverpoo🅷l remain keen on Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo Goes too.

“I think Liverpool might have something to say about it [in the title race],” says S♕choles, a 13-time Premier League champion under Sir Alex Fergus🐠on.

“When I look at them,𝓀 when you mention the f𓄧orward players [at Arsenal] and then I look at the Liverpool forward players… They’ve got five or six.”

Now, Arsenal’s frontline is certainly nothing to be sniffed out. The loan signing of Raheem Sterling – addi𝕴ng extra competition across the attack – could yet prove to be an inspired bit of business.

But with Gabriel Jesus still out of sorts – he failed to find the net as an Ethan Nwaneri-inspired Arꦛsenal thrashed Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the Carab💛ao Cup – and Gabriel Martinelli mustering only one goal contribution in his last 19 appearances, Mikel Arteta could be forgiven for glancing over at Slot’s attacking options with a degree of envy.

Scholes feels lack of defensive depth is Liverpool’s only weakness

Scholes, meanwhile, watched Liverpool smash his beloved Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford back🍒 at the start ofౠ September.

✤Diaz scored two that day, ♎while Salah maintained his quite staggering record at Old Trafford with the clincher early in the second-half.

“Seeing Liverpool first-hand that day, I thought; ‘Wow,♏ what a squad of players that is’,” Scholes sighs. “I don’t see many weaknesses. The only one we thought about was maybe [Virgil] Van Dijk or [Ibra𓆏hima] Konate getting injured in the centre-half position.

“I just see a squad of ꧒players I see those five or six midfield plaওyers… All of them can run, they are all athletes. They have all got great quality.

“And then anyꩵ three of the six forwards can play. Honestly, the only worry was that Forest game, that threw me.”

Liverpool will look to♓ maintain Slot’s fl🐎ying start away to a struggling Wolves outfit on Saturday evening.