Rio Ferdinand fears Liverpool have ‘lost their mojo’ and are unlikely to finish in the top four after Saturday’s crushing 4-1 defeat against Manchester City.
Having pushed Pep Guardiola’s side the limit over the course of the last three years, Liverpool currently look a shadow of their former selves and the gulf in class that currently exists between the two teams were brutally emphasised at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool may have landed the opening blow thanks to Mohamed Salah’s well-taken goal, but they never looked at ease against a free-flowing City side that hardly missed the presence of the injured Erling Haaland.
Julian Alvarez had City level before the break and the reigning champions ran away with a one-side contest after the break with goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish underlining the home side’s dominance.
Defeat left Liverpool languishing in sixth place and with games against Chelsea and Arsenal on the horizon Ferdinand fears things could get even worse for Jurgen Klopp’s underperforming squad.
He told BT Sport: ‘They seem to have lost that mojo, it’s hard to put your finger on exactly why.
‘You looked at that midfield before the game every single City midfielder gets in the team if you were to merge both teams and put the best players in.
‘That’s an element that and area of concern for Liverpool there that they’ll address in the summer.
‘I’d be fearful as a Liverpool fan about top four right now. There’s teams around them with games in hand that look more consistent and seem like they have a bit of an edge on them. It’s worrying times for Klopp and his team.’
And those sentiments were echoed by former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch who struggled to comprehend his old side’s dismal away record.
He said: ‘Where they are now is miles from that. We’ve seen a gulf in where the two teams are today, where Liverpool are and Man City are as teams.
‘It’s not the first time away from home let’s be honest the record has been poor. We were hopeful today but the record is not just a one-off it’s been a disappointing season away from home.’
MORE : Man City manager Pep Guardiola explains Erling Haaland absence against Liverpool
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
