Jamie Carragher names wildcard factor that may boost Liverpool FC in Man City title race

Jamie Carragher admits Manchester City are title favourites this season, but thinks the winter World Cup might play into Liverpool's hands in the impending battle for Premier League supremacy.

City won their fourth English crown in five years last campaign, just pipping Jurgen Klopp's side, and those two teams are tipped to continue their duopoly at the summit once again this season. However, the World Cup in Qatar will give star man Mohamed Salah and other Liverpool players chance to rest up for the run-in after Egypt missed out on a place at the unique 2022 finals, which will be held in November and December.

However, that same opportunity for rest will be afforded to Norway striker and marquee City signing, Erling Haaland. Carragher, speaking on the Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, assessed the upcoming title race.

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He said: "You say City have got better and [ask] have Liverpool got better, but we don't know until the season starts. Haaland could score 30 goals — but they still don't win the league. It's happened in the past with great strikers.

"You can buy the best striker in the world and it doesn't happen. It didn't happen for him with Borussia Dortmund even though he scored a goal a game. They didn't get any closer to Bayern Munich, so he could still do his job and City might be slightly different.

"We don't know about Liverpool. I think there are two [important] things, look City are favourites and I think most people in the room would think City would win the league."

Carragher added: "If you get them [Liverpool] at their best at the very sort of start at the season, and don't forget every season [Virgil] van Dijk has been at Liverpool a full season Liverpool