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Arsenal icon Alan Smith has suggested that Liverpool's Premier League defeat at Manchester City would have been a 'hard' blow for the defending champions. However, he believes the international break could provide a much-needed respite.
The Reds began a crucial week before the final domestic hiatus of the year with a 2-0 home victory over Aston Villa, ending a streak of four consecutive league losses. This was followed by arguably their best performance of the season, a 1-0 triumph over Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League.
However, Arne Slot's squad entered the international break on a down note, with their 3-0 loss at Manchester City - plagued by VAR controversy - leaving them trailing their second-placed rivals by four points and leaders Arsenal by eight, who had faltered the previous evening with a 2-2 draw at Sunderland.
Liverpool will have an opportunity to close the gap on Pep Guardiola's team and Mikel Arteta's side when they host Nottingham Forest on Saturday (3pm).
Smith, who claimed the First Division Golden Boot when Arsenal won the title in 1989 and 1991, shared his thoughts with the ECHO via BestBettingSites.co.uk: "The first point to call maybe is that they can't give themselves that strong base, that platform to go in and keep a clean sheet, and then maybe nick games 1-0 or whatever.", reports the Liverpool Echo.
"Ibrahima Konate's struggles continue, and that can have effects right across the back four and throughout the team. So there's a lack of belief there, I think at the moment, and you thought it was building after Villa and Real Madrid, but the City defeat would have hit them hard.
"They can talk about that disallowed goal from Virgil van Dijk, and it should have been allowed, and who knows how the match would have panned out after that at 1-1. But they are a distance off where they would want to be at the moment.
"I don't think they'd want to admit that (they are out of the title race), because eight points can be closed up, but they've got to do ever so well from here on in, and you're hoping Arsenal and City just trip up a little bit. So the mood in the camp won't be great.
"They'll realise that they've really got to pull their socks up and do it quickly. Maybe the international break for them, in a way, is not bad, and I think Arteta was talking about a reset. So for Liverpool and Slot, it can be the same, and they've got to come back and come back with a bang."
The north London outfit have been bridesmaid for three consecutive campaigns - finishing second to Liverpool last term and Manchester City in the two previous seasons - yet despite stumbling against unexpected challengers Sunderland, they appear determined to break their 22-year championship drought. But Smith doesn't believe it is theirs to lose.
He said: "I don't like that phrase, really. If you've got five games left or something, maybe you'd say it, but not in November. So they've got a little bit of space in between them and City, but as we know, a lot can happen.
"They've just dropped two points at Sunderland, so you don't know. I think it's going to be a really good race this season. Last year was a little bit boring, really, in terms of nobody could keep up with Liverpool, but I see it as a straight head-to-head between City and Arsenal.
"At the moment, of course, Arsenal have got that tiny advantage. But it is tiny, really."
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