Neville, however, doubts Liverpool’s ability to win the Premier League despite leading in January
By Kehinde Okeowo
Pundit and former Manchester United defender, Gary Neville has urged Liverpool players to stay on top of the English Premier League (EPL) in Mohamed Salah’s absence.
Salah is set to join up with his Egyptian teammates ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will be taking place in Ivory Coast.
Before leaving, the leathered forward scored a brace in the Reds’ 4-2 defeat of Newcastle United at the Anfield on Monday night.
The result means Salah is now the joint highest goal scorer in EPL, having scored a total of 14 league goals this season, while the win against the Magpies extended Liverpool’s lead at the summit to three points.
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However, with the Egypt international expected to depart early in January for the AFCON, Man United legend, Neville said Liverpool players must “get through the next month still in the title” and “still at the top of the league” to give Salah a chance to help them lift the EPL trophy for the second time in five years.
He, however, added that he doubts Liverpool’s ability to win the Premier League despite leading in January.
Speaking on Salah’s departure to Ivory Coast for AFCON, Neville said: “You wonder what that’s going to be like without Salah, but they owe it to him to get through the next month still in the title, still at the top of the league and still ahead, so they can give Salah a chance to come back and have a real go at the title.”
He added: “I didn’t think Liverpool would be in a title race and I still don’t think they’ll do it.”