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Paul Merson believes Liverpool may have damaged its chances of winning the Premier League title by signing Alexander Isak, having insisted the striker’s arrival has left Arne Slot confused about his team.
The Reds return to action in the Premier League on Sunday as they face Manchester United at Anfield, with the hosts looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats.
That streak has seen Liverpool fall behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, having previously held a five-point lead over the Gunners before losses to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, with Mikel Arteta’s players now being backed by some as the new favorites for the title.
Slot’s side is still searching for some rhythm after a major overhaul during the summer transfer window, with record signings Isak and Florian Wirtz struggling to find their feet.
Merson believes Isak’s arrival in particular has complicated matters for Slot, with the Liverpool boss still not certain on his best side.
“I said this before as well, Liverpool went too top heavy in the summer transfer window,” Merson said in his Premier League predictions for Sportskeeda.
"People told me Alexander Isak would help Liverpool walk the league. But what it has done is, created a confusion inside Arne Slot's head! It will be at least until December when Slot knows his best team.
"And if you don't know your best team, you can't win the league title!"
Giving his thoughts on Sunday’s game, Merson added: “I have a feeling Isak will start this game because of the transfer fee. You just can't leave him out when you pay that kind of money, can you? If you pay over £100 million for players, they have to be in the line-up for the big games and this is one of them.
“I also think Florian Wirtz is a decent option for this game. Manchester United are not strong in midfield and I wouldn't be surprised if Slot deploys Wirtz in that no.10 role. I believe Wirtz can cause problems to United too.”
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Merson also agrees with the likes of Gary Lineker and Emmanuel Petit that Mohamed Salah is missing Trent Alexander-Arnold following the latter’s move to Real Madrid. Salah has just three goals and three assists from his 10 appearances for the Reds so far this season, and is without a goal contribution in his last three outings for the club.
“We have to talk about Mohamed Salah as well, he has struggled so far this season,” Merson said. “Without Trent Alexander-Arnold, he isn't the same player.
“When Liverpool had Trent, he was so good on the ball that opponents had to get close to him and always put pressure on him whenever he had the ball. Now that he's gone, teams are just doubling down on Salah on that flank and giving him no space.”
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