Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes Man City's 'mainline strikers' won't score enough goals this season and it will cost Pep Guardiola's side the title.
City were held to a goalless draw against Southampton on Saturday, sparking talk about their centre-forward role once again. Prior to that game, City had scored 17 goals in four straight wins but the lack of a focal point in attack against the Saints was evident.
Now pundit, and former striker, Collymore has weighed in on the debate and believes that all of City's rivals are better placed in attack because they have reliable goal scorers in the side, something City don't have in their number nine position.
"10 goals so far in the league, that’s all of Liverpool’s mainline strikers that have scored; Manchester United, four from strikers, three of them from a rookie, Mason Greenwood, the other one from Cristiano Ronaldo; Manchester City, two goals from strikers, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres,” the former Red told Empire of the Kop.
“Five or six games in, Pep Guardiola [is] desperate to get Harry Kane in at £140m, £130m, £120m (whatever figures you want to believe), and you can see why.
“You can see why Romelu Lukaku was worth £97m to Chelsea. Chelsea have four goals from strikers – Kai Havertz, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Pulisic has scored for Chelsea.
“But Liverpool, six games in, have scored five times as many goals as Manchester City from strikers – that’s telling.
“If that carries on: Liverpool walk the league.”
City believe their attacking options are sufficient to carry them to a title once again this season as it did last season and so far have had 11 different goalscorers. But Collymore says fans would rather have a reliable goalscorer in the side than several players who just chip in here and there.
“The question I’m going to ask Liverpool fans and football fans generally is: do you want somebody who’s going to pop up in the 90th minute having done nothing and is an intuitive striker – Salah, Mane, Jota, less so Bobby Firmino, Mason Greenwood, Romelu Lukaku?” Collymore added.
“Or do you want eight attacking midfielders that do great little twists and turns and pirouettes but might not weigh in with your 15 or 20 goals this season?”
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