Gary Neville silenced by Arne Slot as Liverpool make pundit look foolish for his comments

Gary Neville's earlier comment that Liverpool “aren't title winners” is getting old as Arne Slot's side sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League.

While many expected that, in the wake of Jurgen Klopp's shock departure and Slot's immediate recruitment, there would be teething problems at Anfield, the opposite has been true. The Reds have lost just one league match this season.

They have 34 points from thirteen games – nine ahead of their nearest rivals Chelsea and Arsenal – and maintain a perfect Champions League record. Such figures were not achieved by chance either.

Slot's men look impenetrable in defence, are organized and lead a clinical forward line, as evidenced in their 2-0 defeat of struggling Manchester City. However, the Merseyside team were not always a bona fide contender, especially in Neville's eyes.

He admitted in October that “not many people” saw Liverpool as a side that could challenge for the top-level crown. Enzo Maresca's Chelsea traveled to Anfield on October 20, with the home side sitting at the top of the table with a record tarnished only by an errant 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

But despite their impeccable status and the good way in which they had started this Premier League campaign, Marcel believed Slot's side were not contenders. “I don't think any of us see Chelsea as title winners, or even Liverpool,” Neville told Sky Sports ahead of the match.

“But what you have right now is a very intriguing game. I think Liverpool has an advantage over Chelsea. We all know that, but we want to know what distance they still have for us. Liverpool's midfield is a good midfield and they are willing defenders, but are they also great defenders?”

Fast forward two months and the Reds may now be favorites for the title, with City in disarray and a nine-point lead at the front. However, Marcel did not adhere to this poorly substantiated statement.

He has since put aside any dislike he may have for Liverpool, who are long-time patrons of rivals Manchester United, and admitted the 'incredible' Reds now have title hopes on their shoulders. “The people who appointed [Slot]the people who have created the stability, the players especially, in the sense that they are behind him – it really is incredible what we are watching,” said Neville on his Gary Neville podcast.

“None of us expected this. I think Liverpool fans expected this. They might have expected to finish in the top four, but what Arne Slot has done is absolutely brilliant, and it's getting serious. It is no longer a honeymoon period, but a great start, to persevere for a while.

“There is a real expectation. They will be very, very strong favorites. Nine points ahead of Arsenal, 11 points ahead of Manchester City, and still four or five months to go. The title race doesn't start until April.

“We're only at the beginning of December. I'm not saying Liverpool will win the league. I still think there's still a long way to go. But there's no doubt there will be expectations now.”