Ian Holloway has backed Liverpool to win the Premier League after their perfect start to the season.
The former Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool manager heaped praise on the defensive partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, admitting the Cameroon international has looked magnificent.
Holloway went on to claim that Manchester City losing Aymeric Laporte to injury could play a big factor in the race for the title, with Pep Guardiola confirming the Frenchman could be out until February.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday morning, Holloway tipped the Reds to win their first-ever Premier League title after opening up a five-point gap after only five games.
“Can you see them slipping up?” he said.
“Their backline with van Dijk, he’s like a Rolls Royce, I just can’t see it.”
“Even Matip looks magnificent next to him.”
“That could be the bearing on this year, maybe Laporte and his manager last year said he was outstanding, maybe we’re now seeing a fact that that wonderful team they’ve got is missing one key element.”
"Can you seem them slipping up? I can't see it." ?
"Van Dijk is like a Rolls Royce."
"Even Matip looks magnificent next to him."@IanOllie7 is backing Liverpool to win the Premier League title. ?
Do you agree? ? pic.twitter.com/AYTijgosw2
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 16, 2019
OPINION
Liverpool have had the perfect start to this Premier League season, not only in their own games but the fact that their main rivals City have already dropped points in two of their five fixtures. The Reds simply don’t look like losing at this moment, after Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Newcastle made it 14 consecutive wins in the top-flight. Guardiola’s side, on the other hand, have looked seriously fragile at the back, and Saturday’s defeat against Norwich highlighted how Liverpool could take advantage of their struggles going forward. The five-point gap is fully deserved even at this point, with Jurgen Klopp’s men the only side in the entire league who have continued where they left off last season. They need to take advantage of City’s struggles when they are given the chance, and should they beat their rivals when they meet, Reds’ fans will start to believe, and that will add great motivation to the entire Liverpool squad, who will want to continue their perfect start so far.
