15 August 2023 , 21:49
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Paul Merson has changed his mind about Chelsea and Liverpool in his Premier League top four predictions after just ONE game.
The former Arsenal playmaker had tipped Liverpool to secure a place in the Champions League at the end of the season. However, after watching the Reds in action in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and seeing the Blues get the better of Liverpool in the race for Moises Caicedo, he believes that Mauricio Pochettino will lead Chelsea to the top four instead.
Writing in his Sky Sports column, Merson said: “Chelsea already look a hundred times better than last season and with Moises Caicedo moving to Stamford Bridge, they'll finish in the top four instead of Liverpool.
“You could see in Sunday's game that both clubs need Caicedo and that's why he's going for £115m. Is he worth that? Not for me, but Chelsea supporters won't care how much they pay.
“Liverpool were so open. I just don't see who is going to win the ball back for them. Conor Gallagher did a good job for Chelsea to break things up after a slow start, but Liverpool didn't have that.
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“If Liverpool had played one of the top sides, like Arsenal or Man City, on Sunday then they'd have been in trouble, it could have been four or five. They got ripped open a lot of times and were never punished.”
Whilst there is still plenty of time for Liverpool to put together a push for the top-four, it appears that they are set to lose another battle to Chelsea off the pitch. After beating Klopp's men to the punch for Caicedo, the Blues have agreed a fee with Southampton for the German's long-term target Romeo Lavia.
Paul Merson has backed Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to miss out on the top four (Getty Images)Who do you think will finish in the top four? Share your predcitions in the comments below
Chelsea have agreed to pay the Championship side £53m plus £5m in add-ons for the Belgian midfielder. It is the latest big-money move from Blues chief Todd Boehly, who also forked out £115m to sign Caicedo from Brighton.
That double blow leaves Liverpool with limited options. Following the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed his desire to sign a new midfielder before the end of the transfer window.
The German has a six-man strong shortlist, with Fulham star Joao Palhinha thought to be the most admired. Previous targets such as Kalvin Phillips and Khephren Thuram have also re-emerged as potential candidates for a move.
Elsewhere, Cheick Doucoure, Sofyan Amrabat and Fluminense wonderkid Andre could also be considered between now and the end of the summer window. Liverpool have already signed two midfielders this summer - Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have arrived from RB Leipzig and Brighton respectively.