Following Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, Roy Keane has delivered a harsh assessment of their Premier League title aspirations. The former Manchester United midfielder, known for his blunt and often critical analysis, shared his views on Sky Sports, suggesting that the loss has effectively ended Liverpool's title hopes.

The defeat at the Etihad Stadium saw goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku condemn Liverpool to their fifth league defeat of the 2025/26 season. Keane, who reportedly described Liverpool as "dreadful" earlier, was firm in his judgment that the result had extinguished any realistic chance of a title challenge. "You can't be considering Liverpool for the title," Keane stated on Sky Sports. "That was a sore defeat. But this reminded me of City of old. They were outstanding. They are back in the mix".

Keane's assessment comes as Liverpool now sit eight points behind Arsenal, who currently lead the Premier League table. The Gunners' 2-2 draw with Sunderland the day prior meant that Liverpool went into the international break less than ten points adrift. While not an insurmountable lead with 11 games played, Liverpool's inconsistency has been a major concern.

Despite the damaging defeat, Liverpool manager Arne Slot refused to rule his team out of the title race. Speaking after the game, Slot told reporters, "The last thing I should speak about now is the title race. We should focus on getting results. We are eighth". Slot's response is pragmatic, acknowledging that Liverpool needs to improve their results before considering a title push.

Daniel Sturridge and Gary Neville also agreed that Manchester City outplayed Liverpool. Neville highlighted the match as a statement from Manchester City, asserting their position as strong challengers to Arsenal. Sturridge pointed to City's tactical superiority and effective pressing, which caused significant problems for Liverpool's build-up play.

Liverpool's upcoming fixtures after the international break include Nottingham Forest (H), West Ham (A), Sunderland (H), Leeds (A), and Brighton (H). These matches present an opportunity for Liverpool to regain consistency and close the gap on the league leaders.