Michael Owen claims Liverpool can be 'best team in the Premier League' after Man City loss

The former England international spoke to Liverpool.com and revealed why he believes the Reds can still enjoy a positive end to the campaign, despite the disappointment of losing to Manchester City

Michael Owen told Liverpool.com that he believes Liverpool can still compete with the Premier League's best(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Michael Owen has exclusively told Liverpool.com that he still believes Liverpool can outperform any team in the Premier League, but claims the Reds have played at their best too infrequently this season.

Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City saw Arne Slot’s side remain in sixth place in the Premier League table, four points behind Chelsea in fifth. By the time they kick off against Sunderland on Wednesday, the Reds could even find themselves behind Everton in the table.

However, at times this season, Liverpool have beaten Europe’s best. Wins over Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan in the Champions League highlight that, with Liverpool ultimately finishing third in the league phase.

In the Premier League, it has beaten Arsenal and Aston Villa, and despite sitting 17 points behind the Gunners, Owen clearly agrees with Virgil van Dijk’s opinion last week that this can still be a “special season” for the Reds.

“I'm still a massive believer in Liverpool,” said Owen, who is now the UK ambassador for the online casino comparison site Casino.org.

“Maybe I’m just stubborn. I still think that if every single team in the league plays absolutely at their best, Liverpool are the best team in the League.

Owen spoke exclusively to Liverpool.com about the Reds' current issues(Image: Getty Images)

“Everyone might say: ‘They're sixth in the league,’ but they won the league last season and at an absolute canter. I mean, it was embarrassing how easily they made it look.

“I don't necessarily think that Arsenal have gone on and ripped it away from them. It's Liverpool that have played poorly this season in the main. This is the reason they're not going to hold on to their title.

“But in saying that, if you're Real Madrid or Barcelona and you're coming over to England to play in the semi-finals of the Champions League, who's the last team you want to play? I bet you they still say Liverpool at Anfield.

Owen feels Liverpool needs to find consistency

“They [Liverpool] aren’t consistent. They haven’t played well for a large part of the season.

“But, in my opinion, if you look at the starting XI, I still think they're the best team in the league.

“The key, obviously, is to try to get those performances back, get the confidence going, get a way of playing.

“But in patches, they've been incredible this season. But it's just been far, few and far between - that's the problem.”