Gary Neville has tipped Liverpool to secure a Champions League place this season, but insists Arne Slot must lift his players after Sunday's defeat to Manchester City. The former Manchester United defender made the prediction on his Sky Sports podcast, acknowledging the psychological blow of the 2-1 loss at the Etihad.
Despite Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick putting Liverpool ahead, strikes from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva handed the Reds their latest setback. The result left Liverpool sixth in the Premier League table, five points adrift of the top four, ahead of Wednesday's trip to Sunderland.
Neville acknowledged the mental challenge facing Slot's squad, saying the defeat was 'a tough take' but urged them to compartmentalise it. 'If they can put it in a box and not let it infect them, it is whether they are strong enough right now mentally to cope with games every three days,' he said.
The former defender pointed to the experience in Liverpool's dressing room, including Alisson, Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch, as reasons for optimism. 'They have players who know what to do, so can they hold it together and keep on going?' he added.
Neville called for an emphatic response at the Stadium of Light. 'If you want to show that you're not going to be impacted by today, go and win at Sunderland,' he said. 'Go and win there emphatically and be professional. That's where everyone needs to look now for Liverpool.'
