Liverpool's first win of the season has seen Alan Shearer honor two of the club's players, but the Premier League legend is still not expecting a title challenge from the Reds
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 4: Alan Shearer on stage during "The Rest Is Football: Bursting Onto the Stage" Live Show at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on September 04, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Klug/Getty Images)
Alan Shearer doesn't expect Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title(Image: Getty Images)
Alan Shearer was clearly impressed by what he saw from Liverpool against Ipswich - but not enough to back the Reds as possible title contenders.
Andoni Iraola picked up his first win as Liverpool boss on Friday with a 2-0 victory at Portman Road, continuing his unbeaten start after succeeding Arne Slot as head coach in the summer.
There are signs of the former Bournemouth boss’ impact starting to take hold, with the Reds producing their best performance yet against Ipswich, spearheaded by Alexander Isak’s two goals as the Sweden international has already equalled his Premier League tally from last season.
Isak’s performance saw him earn a spot in Shearer’s Premier League team of the week, where he was joined by Liverpool teammate Cody Gakpo, who provided both assists on Friday.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes were also named in the side, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta getting the nod as the manager of the week after his side’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.
It’s no surprise then that Shearer is backing Arsenal to defend its title this season, although he has named two other teams he feels could provide a challenge - neither of which are Liverpool.
“Chelsea and Man City. I’d probably go with Man City,” Shearer said on The Rest is Football.
Alexander Isak of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Cody Gakpo during the Premier League match against Ipswich Town
Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have earned spots in Alan Shearer's team of the week(Image: Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“Manchester United are not good enough defensively to be anywhere near challenging the teams we’ve already mentioned.”
Fellow pundit Micah Richards agreed that City is likely to be Arsenal’s main challenger, while also suggesting that Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea has not yet done enough to prove it can also be in the mix.
“I would go with Man City purely because they’re probably better defensively,” Richards said. “They’ve worked together as a unit more than Chelsea.
“Chelsea might be more entertaining but they’re giving away a lot of goals and chances. If they really want to be title challengers, they need to improve on defensive actions.”
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Liverpool.com says: No one is expecting Liverpool to mount a title challenge this season, a lot of the club’s own fans included. After last season’s disappointing showing, going on the radar might just suit the Reds.
Iraola needs to be given time to put his stamp on things at Anfield without the added pressure of needing to deliver some silverware. That will obviously be expected in due time, but more than anything, there just needs to be some clear signs of improvement this season.
If he can get Liverpool challenging for the title, that will be a major bonus. He certainly has enough quality in his side to pose a threat to Arsenal, but it is probably too early to be thinking about a title tilt.