Gary Neville has revealed the one player that Liverpool cannot afford to lose to injury after running riot against Spurs on Sunday evening.
Arne Slot‘s side extended their lead at the top of the table to four points – with a game in hand on others – thanks to a 6-3 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Goals from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah wrapped up the victory that ensured their place at the top of league for Christmas.
After the match, Neville suggested that the Reds are ‘clearly the best team’ but revealed the one player who they cannot afford to lose amid their title charge.
‘Liverpool are clearly the best team in the Premier League at this moment in time,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast after the clash.
‘They’re the clear favourites for the title. Man City’s drop-off has been spectacular, I’m not sure anyone really knows how it’s gone so badly wrong.
Gary Neville claimed Liverpool are ‘clearly the best team’ in the league after beating Tottenham
The Reds ran riot and beat Tottenham 6-3 in their Premier League clash on Sunday evening
The victory ensured Arne Slot’s side will remain top of the table for Christmas Day
‘Chelsea had a tough game today but they’re doing well and having a good season.
‘I think the one team Liverpool need to watch are Arsenal if they can get their tail up and close that gap going in March and April.
‘But at this moment in time Liverpool are clear favourites. I think the biggest risk for them is injuries – if they were to lose Van Dijk and Salah that would hurt them.
‘Van Dijk is like Rodri for Liverpool, he holds it all together. Keeping him fit is absolutely crucial.
‘There’s some big challenges coming up so we’re nowhere near the point that you can hand Liverpool the title but they’re in a great position and at this moment in time they’re by far the best team in the league and the table tells us that.’
Meanwhile, Arne Slot hailed his Liverpool players and insisted that his side could have scored more than the six they put past Tottenham.
‘It was maybe our best performance away from home although I really liked what I saw against Man Utd as well. It was total dominance and we outplayed them many times. Apart from scoring six goals, I think we could have scored more.’
In the last seven seasons when Liverpool have been top of the table at Christmas they have only won the league once and their Dutch boss refused to get carried away.
Neville suggested that it is ‘crucial’ that Virgil van Dijk remains fit for Liverpool’s title charge
The Reds are now four points clear at the summit of the table after the win over Tottenham
Neville suggested that Arsenal are the only side in the league who can also challenge the title
‘Of course it means something (to be top at Christmas). You always prefer to be where we are than in another position in the table. You know as well as I know – I have won the league once (with Feyenoord) – how hard it is to stay at the top,’ said Slot.
‘You have to be on top of your game for every minute of every game. That’s why it is so hard to win it. It is not easy to show up every three or four days. Last week you saw how it is easy to get a red card in one moment. These things can happen in a season.
‘At Newcastle, we were 3-2 up and dropped in one situation and lost three points so that’s the Premier League. I didn’t expect Chelsea to drop points – it can happen in any game and that’s what makes the league so special, so many people want to watch it and that’s why we play at Christmas time,’ he added.