Former Liverpool star Dean Saunders has weighed in on his old side’s blockbuster contest against Manchester City.
The fixture has been overshadowed by the ongoing scandal of City being found guilty of 114 charges for breaching Premier League financial rules.
The Citizens have lodged an appeal, with the club’s manager Enzo Maresca saying he has “complete trust” in the board.
Saunders, speaking exclusively to GB News, feels the Reds’ victory over Bournemouth before the international break was paramount to getting them on the right track under new boss Andoni Iraola ahead of their contest against the Citizens.
He said: “I think Liverpool are doing okay. They really needed that result [against Bournemouth]
“I know they’ve been unbeaten, but they have to be winning games if they want to compete at the top of the table.
“Andoni Iraola could have found himself under pressure if they hadn’t beaten Bournemouth, so I’m sure there was plenty of relief in the dressing room once they got over the line.
“Things certainly aren’t perfect at the minute, but they could be much worse. It’s an okay start and something to build on, that’s for sure.”
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Saunders, who scored 25 goals for the Reds during his tenure at the club, has been impressed with the form of Alexander Isak so far.
He told the People’s Channel through Betpack: “I think there have been a couple of standout players in the opening five games.
“I think Alexander Isak is the obvious one, and he’s grabbed himself four goals in five games, which is the start to the season that every striker dreams of.
“Bradley Barcola has also shown glimpses of the fantastic player he is going to be in limited game time so far.”
Saunders continued: “You could see when Isak scored against Bournemouth that he was also in the box, distracting defenders for Isak, which is a talent that goes unnoticed a little bit, but if he keeps putting himself about in the box, both he and Isak will score lots more goals.
“I also think Jeremy Jacquet has had a fantastic start to his Liverpool career.
“Liverpool have kept a couple of clean sheets, and he’s had a few really good games, showing his potential.
“Virgil van Dijk hasn’t had the best start to the season, but Jacquet has still looked strong alongside him.”
Isak will miss the Reds’ match this afternoon, as will Cody Gakpo, with Iraola saying both players “are not ready”.
The Spaniard said: “Unfortunately for us, both got injuries during the international break. As a club manager, you are always waiting until the games end, that the doctor doesn’t call you and then gives you bad news.
“But in this case we’ve been unlucky with Alex and Cody – both of them are injured, and they are not going to be involved.”
The two sides meet in the highly anticipated contest at 4:30pm, with City’s charges continuing to dominate the pre-game agenda.
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