Former Arsenal and England midfielder Paul Merson has told Liverpool that they are out of the Premier League title race prior to Saturday's key fixture against second-placed Chelsea.
Despite their being 18 games left to play, 19 for the Reds who have a game in hand, Merson believes that there is no way Jurgen Klopp's side can catch leaders Man City.
City are eight points clear of Chelsea who are second and nine ahead of Liverpool.
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Chelsea meet Liverpool on New Year's Day and Merson has said that neither can afford to draw that fixture, let alone lose it.
But the 53-year-old did tip Jurgen Klopp's men to pick up the three points at Stamford Bridge.
“If I’m going purely based on what I saw of Chelsea against Brighton, I can’t see anything but a Liverpool win,” Merson wrote on Sportskeeda.
“I believe both teams are already out of the Premier League title race, but it could be the final nail in the coffin for whoever loses this one.
“There’s really no point in a draw, as they need to close the gap at the top to stay in contention.”
The two sides met three games into the 2021-22 campaign, with the Blues holding on to a 1-1 draw after being reduced to 10-men at the end of the first half.
