Jamie Carragher has backed Manchester City to bounce back from their title disappointment and close the gap to newly crowned champions Liverpool next season.
The two sides meet in a mouthwatering clash between the division’s top two this evening, in the first fixture since Liverpool were crowned as Premier League champions for the first time last week.
Jurgen Klopp’s champions head to the Etihad with a huge 23-point margin and have won the title with a record seven games to spare, though Carragher believes the title race will be a much closer prospect next term and has backed Man City to improve.
“There are 23 points between the teams but I don’t see the gap as being that big,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“There’s no doubt that Liverpool have the edge, but I certainly don’t think there will be that much between the teams next season.
“I think City will want to put a marker down and win the game.
“When City are at their best, they’re almost unstoppable, but one of the few teams that can stop them are Liverpool, so I think it will be a brilliant game to watch.
“It would have been nice if there was a little bit more riding on it, for Liverpool to be able seal [the title] against City.
“But I don’t think there’s too much between the teams. We’ve seen it this season, but I don’t expect to see it next season because I think City are too good a team and Guardiola is too good a manager to have a gap like that between one of his teams and someone else’s.
“I think a lot of it will [come down to] who City recruit.
“There’s no doubt that City will do a lot more in the market than Liverpool will. I think if City recruit well, it will bridge that gap that we’ve seen this season and then it becomes about how Liverpool deal with that.”
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