Gary Neville has aimed a thinly-veiled jab at Alexander Isak in his prediction for Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday while Roy Keane explained why he doesn’t believe Arne Slot’s side will win the title.

Liverpool have won all five of their Premier League games at the start of the season and already sit five points clear at the top of the the table having cruised to the title in Slot’s first season in charge.

The Reds have relied on a number of late goals to ensure that 100 per cent record and there’s a feeling that they are yet to truly hit their stride in quite the harbinger of doom for their title rivals.

Two of their title rivals in Arsenal and Manchester City drew 1-1 last weekend to drop points in the race, while Chelsea lost 2-1 to Manchester United.

Hugo Ekitike scored their latest last-gasp winner in the League Cup to triumph over Southampton to take his tally to five for the season, but the summer signing was shown a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration and is now ruled out of the clash with Palace.

Isak scored his first Liverpool goal in that win over Southampton before being replaced by Ekitike and will now surely lead the line for the Reds on Saturday.

And Neville suggested that’s bad news for Liverpool, claiming Ekitike’s absence will be costly for Liverpool, while fellow Stick to Football podcast Jill Scott backed Isak to truly arrive as a Reds player in the Premier League.

Gary Neville insisted: “Liverpool don’t have Hugo Ekitike because he took his shirt off, so I’m going for a draw, and I think 1-1.”

Jill Scott said: “Liverpool will win and it will be a sliding door moment for Alexander Isak.”

MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365
👉 Liverpool ‘close in’ with ‘significant’ deal deemed a ‘formality’ on one condition amid Guehi ‘big news’
👉 Wirtz sympathy and Woltemade ‘madness’ – Rummenigge joins salty Bayern beerfest
👉 Liverpool decide to ‘activate huge deal’ as Euro giants ‘risk being robbed’ amid ‘urgent’ transfer ‘plan’

Keane backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title at the start of the season and is sticking to that prediction despite Liverpool’s fine start, claiming centre-back injuries could be costly for Slot after Giovanni Leoni was struck down by an ACL tear on debut against the Saints.

Keane said: “I’d like to go with Liverpool now, but I still think if Liverpool get one or two injured centre halves there could still be a dip for Liverpool, no doubt about it.”

Jamie Carragher is sticking with Liverpool as his title winners as he believes Arsenal only have “half a chance” thanks to their reliance on set pieces.

“It almost feels like it’s down to set pieces if they can win the league,” Carragher said. “They’ve got the best defence, they’ll end up with the most clean sheets.

“And it almost feels like if their set pieces work, they’ll have half a chance and if they don’t they won’t.”