Stuart Pearce has tipped Liverpool to win the Premier League title this season at the expense of Manchester City.
The 56-year-old claimed that he hadn’t seen the level of belief that the Reds squad now had in their ability previously and that the hunger to win would see them be successful in their pursuit of the league championship.
Pearce stated that he thought it was a two-horse race between Man City and Jurgen Klopp’s side but suggested failing to win the title last season would give the Reds enough desire to get the job done this season.
“I personally think they’ll win the league this year,” said Pearce on Sky Sports’ The Debate, as quoted by the broadcaster’s website.
“I think it’s a two-horse race between them and City and they might just come out on top.
“I’m seeing a belief within the group that I probably haven’t seen before from the back end of last season, they’re hungry as well. They lost the Champions League final and the manner in the way they lost the final will hurt them.
“They didn’t win the league last year so I think they’ve got the hunger in their belly. They’re chasing that first title for however long and I think that hunger will get them over the line.”
OPINION
It’s bizarre that Pearce suggests that belief and hungry has never been so high in the Reds’ squad as confidence seemed very high surrounding the club last season. The former Premier League star points out this factor as the reason why the Reds will edge the title race but Pep Guardiola’s side seem just as determined to make it back-to-back title wins. While some pundits suggest that a club can take its eye off the ball after previously reaching the mountain top, Man City don’t seem like suffering from that problem under serial winner Pep Guardiola. The experienced manager no doubt has ways of keeping his squad focus and the Reds will have to be more than just ‘hungry’ for the league title if they want to lift it. Klopp has a very talented squad available to him and knows he has the tools to bring silverware to Anfield in the near future. However the German manager is no doubt also aware that despite what Pearce thinks, the title race has more clubs involved in it than just Man City and Liverpool.
