Jamie Carragher has highlighted how Liverpool having fewer players heading to the World Cup could boost their chances of reclaiming the Premier League title this season.
The Anfield icon admits that Manchester City are the favourites to retain their crown in 2022-23, but the bisected campaign offers some of Jurgen Klopp 's team time to refuel. With the month-long tournament kicking off in November, Carragher has noted how Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz not heading to Qatar can be a major plus when the season recommences on Boxing Day.
Carragher - who watched Liverpool's 3-1 victory over City in the Community Shield on Saturday - confessed: "Two things, look Man City are favourites, I think most people in the room would think City would win the league.
"I think there's a couple of things that I'm maybe hanging on to with Liverpool is the fact that I think once Virgil van Dijk was up to speed last season – you got the first three or four months out of the season – in the second half of the season, him and the goalkeeper [ Alisson Becker ] were absolutely what you would expect them to be and what they've been for the last three or four years."
Carragher, speaking on the Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, continued: "If you get them [Liverpool] at their best, at the very, sort of, start of the season - and don't forget, every season Van Dijk has been at Liverpool a full season, Liverpool have got over 90 points and the other thing is that Liverpool have got sort of three or four top players.
"I don't know about City to be honest; it might be the same, not going to the World Cup. So, Luis Diaz is not going, Salah's not going. I don't really know City, but there's a few decent players sort of from Liverpool I think, you know, could that make a difference in the second half of the season.
"I mean, he's [Klopp] brought younger players in now, so you know players had to move on at a certain stage. I mean, I actually think Liverpool have got more depth than City."
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Gary Neville, meanwhile, sees Pep Guardiola and co lifting the trophy again by a comfortable margin.
"Last season we had a title race and I think Liverpool were at absolute breakneck, giving everything to hang in there until the end," the former Manchester United captained explained. "Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if this season, if they [City] do win it by a big amount of points."
Neville added: "On paper, City have got stronger. I don't think you could say, hand on heart, that Liverpool have because Mane's unbelievable.
"I don't think you can say Liverpool are going to be weaker - but City are going to be the equal of last season if not better."
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