TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage believes Liverpool are in danger of missing out on a top-four finish for a second season in a row.

The former Leicester and Birmingham City midfielder says it is a toss-up between the Reds and Arsenal in terms of who will fail to qualify for the Champions League. His main concern with Jurgen Klopp’s side is their poor defensive setup:

“For me, it’s between Arsenal and Liverpool [for who misses out]. Arsenal have improved as well. The big one for me is Liverpool, especially if they continue to play that high line. They were beatable last year and didn’t have a great season. If you’re looking at it now, I’d say Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.”

Savage is certainly not the only one who is worried about the Reds’ defence heading into the new season. The 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in their last friendly has raised more alarm bells among supporters who fear that the club have failed to address flaws in their backline.

Of course, it is hard to judge performances in pre-season and we will find out a lot more about the team when they face Chelsea in their first Premier League fixture in just over a week’s time.

Signings could be key for Liverpool

The lack of an experienced number six after Fabinho’s departure is a subject that has already been raised by another pundit, Steve Nicol. It is something that has to be rectified in the transfer market as the defence looks very vulnerable at the moment without adequate protection in front of it.

If Klopp persists with the inverted fullbacks, you also need defenders with pace who can cover plenty of ground. Players like Joel Matip are simply not up to the task, so you would hope that recruiting a new centre-back is high on the agenda as well.