Gareth Southgate should leave his role as England manager "with his head held high" after the World Cup, according to Jamie Carragher, who says the Three Lions have overachieved during his reign.

Southgate has led England to at least the semi-finals in consecutive major tournaments, becoming the only boss to do so since Alf Ramsey (World Cup winners in 1966, Euro 1968 semi-finalists). 

However, he has faced heavy criticism since he oversaw England's relegation from the top tier of the Nations League in September, and was jeered by supporters following a defeat in Italy.  

While Southgate signed a contract extension to run until the end of Euro 2024 last year, Carragher believes he should call time on his tenure after the trip to Qatar, but says he has earnt the right to make his own decision.

"If I was Gareth Southgate, I would make the Qatar World Cup my swansong as England manager," Carragher wrote in the Telegraph. "Hopefully England will produce to a strong enough level to ensure that is Southgate's call.

"After his excellence in the job to this point, the least he deserves is to leave on his own terms when he feels the time is right. 

"The natural cycle should be for a rethink every four years, so a coach builds towards the next World Cup. Unless Southgate has the energy for that, it is wiser to step away.

"Southgate may win over the doubters for a third time over the next few weeks. My hope for Qatar is for England to again retain interest in the competition until the final week, to give Southgate the option of leaving the job through the front door with his head held high."

Southgate has been charged with adopting a negative approach in several big games during his reign – notably 2018's World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia and the Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.

However, Carragher described criticism of his tactics as a "joke" as he insisted England had not underperformed in recent years.

"He is intelligent enough to have sensed a mood shift over the last few months, even if some of the negativity surrounding him during the build-up to the tournament is a joke," Carragher added.

"It is unreasonable to suggest he should change course from the formula that took England so far in their last two competitions.

"He has not failed to get the most of a talented squad, as some argue. He has over performed with a very good bunch.

"Go through the current England team and there are three players who would be a regular first choice in any club side in the world – Harry Kane, Phil Foden and, in the future, Jude Bellingham.

"The suggestion that this is the greatest England team since 1966 is a myth, but the more it gains traction, the more Southgate must deal with unrealistic demands."

Jamie Carragher is backing Liverpool to spend "up to £200million" to rejuvenate their midfield at the end of the season and believes Jude Bellingham is the "perfect fit".

The 19-year-old England international has excelled with Borussia Dortmund since joining the Bundesliga side in 2019 from Birmingham City and has been touted for a lucrative return to the Premier League.

Liverpool have long been seen as contenders for his services, though recent reports indicate Manchester City are leading the chase. Real Madrid are also said to hold a firm interest.

Landing Bellingham will take a substantial fee, likely one that would exceed Liverpool's club-record of £75m spent on Virgil van Dijk in 2018, but Carragher believes that figure will be a "bargain" after he continues to develop.

"The issue is that the players don't have the energy to play a full game at the intensity they've played at in previous seasons. Teams are now matching their energy, but this isn't something that Liverpool has adapted," he said on Sky Sports' The Overlap.

"The Arsenal game was a fine example of this – when they played Liverpool off the pitch in the second half – and that is why I can see Liverpool spending up to £200m on their midfield in the summer.

"Jude Bellingham would be the perfect fit, but he would be a lot of money.

"When Liverpool have spent big money in the past, it's been on the goalkeeper [Alisson Becker] and Virgil van Dijk, who were bought in at great age profiles.

"Signing Jude Bellingham would be for a lot of money, but it would get to two years down the line and people would see it as a bargain.

"At his age, you'd have him for at least five seasons before he’d move on, which is a great investment for the club."

Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and seven short of Tottenham in fourth.

Jamie Carragher was "surprised" by Fenway Sports Group's (FSG) announcement it "would consider" new investment at Liverpool, but Gary Neville believes a "sale makes sense".

The Athletic reported on Monday that FSG is "inviting offers" for potential new owners of the Reds, although the Boston-based company later said it was "fully committed" to the club.

The developments came as a shock to Liverpool great Carragher, even if he understands why FSG could be willing to listen to offers.

"I am surprised," Carragher said on the latest episode of Sky Sports' The Overlap. "How strong it is in terms of selling fully or trying to bring money into the club, I'm not sure.

"I just thought that with so many American owners coming into the league, I thought there was a power play in some ways where they could see something in the future given what we've seen in American sports, so I thought the owners would be here for a while.

"Maybe they woke up on Monday morning and read about how much Manchester City have made commercially and thought, 'you can't stop it, can you?!'"

FSG has come under increasing pressure in recent years, despite Liverpool's achievements since Jurgen Klopp's appointment in 2015, during which time they have won the Champions League and the club's first league title in 30 years.

John W. Henry, FSG's principal owner, was heavily criticised for his role in the club's attempts to join the failed European Super League, while a perceived unwillingness to invest in the playing squad has been blamed by some for their poor start to this season.

But Carragher believes FSG's tenure has been a success, adding: "I think FSG have done a great job at the club, and I don't think they've ever proclaimed to have the funds of Manchester United, Chelsea or Manchester City.

"They were the owners who brought the title back, the owners who brought Jurgen Klopp, the stadium has been transformed, the training ground has been transformed. They've almost been a model for clubs like Arsenal.

"Will the club ever be valued as highly as it is right now again? With Klopp as the manager and the team having been so successful over the last few years? Maybe there's something in that."

Neville thinks now might be the right time for FSG to sell up, explaining: "I think the Liverpool sale makes sense.

"FSG haven't got the money to compete with the other top teams in the league, they've already developed the stadium, they've got Jurgen Klopp, and it's now a case of for how long is he going to be around for? Two or three years?

"They certainly can't compete financially with some of the other clubs in the league, so I don't think it's as big a surprise when you look at some of the evidence."

Jamie Carragher has accused FIFA of putting players in a "disgusting" position by planting the Qatar World Cup slap bang in the middle of the club season.

For most players involved, the tournament will be taking place while their domestic leagues are put on hold, after it was decided Qatar would not be able to host in the usual June-July time slot, due to its climate.

It means the leading lights of the game are playing important club games just days before the opening matches of the World Cup, knowing an injury, even at a minor level, could scupper hopes of being involved.

Former Liverpool and England defender Carragher said a World Cup in November and December is "absurd" and "has succeeded in compromising every major football competition this season, including their own showpiece event".

He said there would "almost be a perverse sense of justice" if stars of the game suffer minor injury blows in the coming weeks that rule them out of the World Cup, due to the tournament's "indecent timing".

But Carragher suspects those that pushed for Qatar to host would not feel responsible, saying: "To them, elite footballers are like cattle. They get well paid and should get on with it, regardless of the psychological and physical consequences."

Carragher pointed to the example of Raphael Varane coming off in tears for Manchester United against Chelsea last month, putting his France prospects in doubt.

He wrote in the Telegraph: "It is disgusting that players are being put in such a position, and they are at their most vulnerable right now as they are expected to go full throttle in the final weeks before joining their national team.

"In normal circumstances, the squads would already be at the pre-tournament training camp, the fine-tuning under way before the opening ceremony."

Carragher added: "The decisions at the top have materially enhanced the risk of injuries. That was inevitable when the World Cup was arranged in mid-season. Everyone with even the slightest understanding of the demands upon a top-level footballer knew that."

The 44-year-old Carragher spent a decade in and around the England squad, at a time when John Terry and Rio Ferdinand were usually ahead of him in the pecking order.

He still won 38 caps and went to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and believes the upcoming tournament taking place in Qatar casts shame on the game.

Carragher argues football's authorities made a major error by voting to give the World Cup to a country with a widely criticised human rights record. Critics have pointed to Qatar's treatment of LGBTQ+ people, and the death of many migrant workers on construction sites ahead of the tournament.

"Qatar must be the tipping point," Carragher added. "This can never happen again and there are already signs of professional players mobilising to ensure it never will. FIFA and other national bodies must be forced to act as well as listen.

"The 2022 World Cup symbolises FIFA's ultimate power. They pushed ahead, ripping up the football calendar knowing nothing could stop them."

Darwin Nunez can be a "scary" presence for Liverpool but still needs to grow his overall game, says Reds great Jamie Carragher.

The Uruguay international got on the scoresheet in the Premier League side's 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday, for his sixth goal of the season across all competitions.

Nunez had a tough start to life at Anfield with a red card against Crystal Palace seeing him serve an early season ban, but is starting to show his potential on Merseyside.

With more attempts on a per-90-minute basis (6.7) in the English top-flight this term than anyone else, Carragher suggests the stats back the influence the 23-year-old can have on matches.

"It's really interesting watching Nunez," he told CBS. "He comes on and he makes a huge impact. He hasn't set the world alight, he hasn't done what [Erling] Haaland's done and people would've expected more for the price-tag. 

"But when you look at his minutes on the pitch and how many goals he's scored per minute, his numbers are scary. He's actually made a huge impact."

Carragher feels that Nunez is yet to fully master his all-around game though, adding: "But there's still something not quite there, where Jurgen Klopp is going to play him every single game.

"I think he's got [similarities to] Fernando Torres. He's got that power, physically, to knock defenders off, that blistering pace. But at times, maybe technically, [he is] not the best in terms of general play."

Nunez has posted a 0.6 goal yield every 90 minutes in the Premier League this term, a ratio bettered by just seven players, while only Manchester City's Erling Haaland has a superior non-penalty xG than his 0.76.

Liverpool are not battling through "a blip" but a "serious problem", according to club great Jamie Carragher.

Jurgen Klopp's side sit ninth in the Premier League, 13 points off the top ahead of Arsenal's meeting with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, after falling to defeat against Leeds United on Saturday.

Crysencio Summerville's late strike snatched an unlikely victory for strugglers Leeds as Liverpool suffered their first Premier League defeat at Anfield since March 2021, ending a 29-match home unbeaten run in the competition.

Despite Mohamed Salah cancelling out Rodrigo Moreno's early opener, Illan Meslier made a series of impressive stops to help pave the way for Summerville's winner, and Carragher feels his former side face a worrying situation.

"It's a huge result for Leeds but Liverpool have got massive problems," Carragher said in his role as a pundit on Sky Sports.

"Leeds' fans know how big a result this is. It's so long since anyone's won at Anfield. They're going to milk it and rightly so. It will do wonders for them, in terms of the league table.

"This isn't a blip for Liverpool, this is a serious problem. There's no doubt that the goalkeeper in the last 10-15 minutes has kept Leeds in it but if you look at the whole game you can't say Leeds haven't deserved to get something from it. They were fantastic.

"Klopp must be thinking, what else can I try now? Different permutations, formations, personnel."

Klopp again bemoaned a lack of consistency, lamenting the injury issues Liverpool face, though Graeme Souness offered a scathing assessment of his former side's capabilities.

"Liverpool are a country mile from where they were over the last few years," Souness added. "In many instances, Leeds were more than a match for Liverpool and they did to Liverpool what they had been doing to teams for years.

"Liverpool basically bullied teams before, their midfield bullied teams. And now they're being bullied. That's making them vulnerable at the back, and they're not creating the same chances up front. Liverpool are a shadow [of the team they used to be].

"Liverpool still had enough chances to win the game, but they are not like the Liverpool we've seen for the last five years. They don't play with the same intensity and just don't have it in their legs anymore."

Souness pinpointed Liverpool's midfield as a primary reason for their struggles.

"If correct [Leeds ran 11 kilometres more than Liverpool], then to a man they ran a kilometre more than Liverpool. That's a big difference," he continued.

"And if you look at a midfield of Thiago [Alcantara], 31, [Jordan] Henderson, 31, Fabinho, 29, then after that you have [Naby] Keita and [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones who is 21, and Harvey Elliot who's 19.

"If you go back to the start of the season, Jurgen [Klopp] must have looked at his midfield and thought: 'We're vulnerable here'. I feel their midfield is no longer a midfield that is going to get them back and win the big trophies."

Jamie Carragher believes Aston Villa may have sacked Steven Gerrard because they feared the atmosphere at future games would become "toxic".

Villa acted shortly after Thursday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Fulham, a sixth defeat in 11 games for a Villa side who have won just twice in the top flight this season.

Carragher and Gerrard were long-standing Liverpool team-mates and remain close, to the point they had been discussing Villa's upcoming games just days ago.

However, Carragher was not surprised Villa opted for a change of head coach.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Carragher said: "I don't think it was too much of a shock that the news came out. It was just whether the Aston Villa board would let Stevie take the [next] game because it's so close around the corner on Sunday against Brentford.

"But the reaction of the Villa fans, maybe they felt the crowd would be a little bit toxic on Sunday and better for all parties to part ways."

Carragher is intrigued to see whether Gerrard jumps back into a coaching role in the coming months, or whether he keeps his distance for a while.

Gerrard enjoyed considerable trophy success at Rangers but could not replicate that with Villa, departing after just under 12 months at the helm.

"I'm really not sure whether Stevie would go back in or wait 12 months," said Carragher. "I spoke to him a few days ago about the upcoming games for Aston Villa, and he's not daft, he knows the situation.

"It will be really interesting, that's not something I've spoken to him about, whether he's the type of guy who wants to be manager for the next 20 years or he's maybe picked certain jobs that really appeal to him. I think that's what he's done in the first few jobs that he's picked.

"Whether Stevie would drop down to the Championship, I'm really not sure."

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said the sacking was a reminder of the "volatile" nature of being a Premier League boss, and he expects Gerrard to find another club before long.

"I'm disappointed for Steve. I think he's a very good manager," Howe said at Newcastle's press conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with Tottenham. 

"It just goes to show the short-term nature of everyone's thinking. I've got no doubt on his quality and I'm sure he'll be back very soon."

Villa on Friday announced the departure of five of Gerrard's staff, including former Scotland captain Gary McAllister. He has left the club, along with Neil Critchley, Tom Culshaw, Jordan Milsom and Scott Mason

They have put first-team coach Aaron Danks in temporary charge, meaning he will lead the side for the Brentford game.

Chief executive Christian Purslow said Villa's target "of continuous improvement" had not been achieved under Gerrard, adding: "The process of appointing a new head coach is under way and we will update supporters as soon as possible."

Ivan Toney is a "perfect fit" for England, so says Thomas Frank, as the Brentford striker backed up his claim for a World Cup call.

Toney has been in superb form for Brentford this season and moved onto eight league goals for the season with a double in Friday's 2-0 defeat of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having marked his 100th Premier League appearance for Brentford with a deft backheel to put them ahead in the first half, Toney coolly converted a spot-kick after the break to seal the points.

Toney has scored all 20 of his penalties for Brentford (excluding shoot-outs), including eight in the Premier League, putting him behind only Dimitar Berbatov (9/9) and Yaya Toure (11/11) when it comes to players with a 100 per cent record from the spot in the competition.

The 26-year-old, who also netted from 12 yards in last week's defeat to Newcastle United and last month's thrashing of Leeds United, received his maiden England call-up for the Nations League matches against Italy and Germany in September.

While he did not make his international debut, only Erling Haaland (15) has scored more goals than Toney in the Premier League this season, and Frank thinks Toney – who he reiterated is the finest penalty taker in the game – must be part of Gareth Southgate's squad.

"I know I say it every time and he’s starting to back me up a bit – the best penalty taker in the world. It’s not only because of his coolness, his technique, strategy and he practices," Frank told Sky Sports.

"We spoke about when he got the call, if he could get the first cap that would be amazing. It would be the first time in, I don't know, 80 years [that a Brentford player played for England] and we keep breaking records these days.

"But for Ivan it would be amazing and I think – I respect Gareth so much, he knows the bigger picture more than me – but I think he's a perfect fit for the squad if you want that flexibility in strikers."

Frank's sentiment was echoed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who said: "I think he has to go. We know Harry Kane is our number one but after that it feels as though a lot of the strikers are in the same sort of category in terms of quality. Ivan Toney, right now, is at the top of that list and I don't see how he doesn't go."

Fellow pundit Gary Neville says Toney – who joked he "thinks of being on the beach with a cocktail" when he takes his penalties, could prove a difference maker in a penalty shoot-out.

England have won only one of their last eight shoot-outs at major tournaments – against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup. Indeed, they lost last year's Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.

Neville said: "I went to eight tournaments, five of those got knocked out on penalties. The fact is it's about having confident players who do it regularly – and England have got a lot of those in the squad.

"Those big moments will be determined by penalties and free-kicks, to not have him there would be a big risk."

For his part, Toney said of his England experience: "I didn't feel out of place. I felt like I was ready for that step.

"I'm ready to take my opportunity. I always see myself as the best player on the pitch and you've always got to have that mentality, no matter who you come up against."

Jamie Carragher has told Liverpool to focus on stopping Kevin De Bruyne in Sunday's clash against Manchester City, which he believes would cut the supply to Erling Haaland.

Jurgen Klopp's side welcome City to Anfield after a disappointing start to their Premier League campaign, sitting 13 points behind their opponents following a defeat to Arsenal last week.

Stopping City from extending that gap will be tough, particularly with Haaland in such incredible goalscoring form. The former Borussia Dortmund has already scored 15 league goals, only eight fewer than the 23 managed by Golden Boot winners Son Heung-min and Mohamed Salah last season.

While that may encourage Liverpool to pay special attention to the 22-year-old, former Reds defender Carragher believes the key factor will be limiting De Bruyne's influence on the game.

"I'd almost be more focused on De Bruyne rather than Haaland in this game," he told Sky Sports' Essential Football podcast.

"If you stop De Bruyne, you take 50 per cent away from Haaland as well as the connection the two have got is there already. And for me, De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the world.

Erling Haaland feels like he belongs to the Premier League as much as he does Manchester City, believes Jamie Carragher.

The Norway international continued his stunning start to life in the English top flight with another hat-trick in Sunday's 6-3 derby demolition job against Manchester United.

It was the Leeds-born attacker's third consecutive three-goal haul in a home league game – a competition first – and furthers his tally for the season to 14 in eight games.

Now, former Liverpool defender Carragher, speaking as a Sky Sports pundit, feels the 22-year-old's talents are something to be savoured by fans up and down the country rather than just at one club.

"He's not just City's, he's the Premier League's [player]," Carragher said on Monday Night Football.

"That's what it feels like to me. It felt like that when he joined, it was something to be enjoyed by the whole Premier League."

Carragher's fellow pundit Gary Neville echoed his sentiments, adding: "I can't think of another time where the Premier League has signed a player in the last 30 years where you've thought [they are] a world star.

"[Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Thierry] Henry, [Virgil] van Dijk, [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Mohamed] Salah – all these players have gone to be some of the best in the world. They weren't that when they signed into the Premier League.

"But what we've signed here is somebody that everybody knew was going to be one of the best in the world."

Jamie Carragher believes Harry Maguire's England place may now be untenable and thinks the defender must leave Manchester United to recapture his best form.

Maguire started United's first two games of the Premier League season – defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford – but has been relegated to the bench amid a four-game winning run for Erik ten Hag's men.

Maguire's lack of game-time at Old Trafford led to criticism of Gareth Southgate's decision to select him for England's Nations League ties against Italy and Germany, and the defender did not help his case with two nervous performances.

Having started as the Three Lions were relegated from League A with a meek 1-0 loss in Milan last week, Maguire gave away a penalty in Monday's 3-3 draw with Germany.

On Wednesday, former Liverpool and England defender Carragher said criticism of Maguire's performances was justified, writing in the Telegraph: "Harry Maguire should be angry.

"He should be angry that he has gone from England's best defender at the 2018 World Cup and 2020 Euros, where he was named in the team of the tournament, to being presented as a laughing stock.

"He should be angry that he has gone from a player England fans saw as 'one of their own' when singing his name incessantly during internationals, to someone who some supporters think it justified to boo whenever his name is announced in the stadium.

"He should be angry that he finds himself fighting to justify his place in England's World Cup squad on the back of being left in limbo at Manchester United.

"And he should also be angry when looking at himself and asking; 'how have I allowed it to come to this', when not so long ago he would have been alongside Harry Kane as one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's team sheet.

"No-one deserves the kind of mockery coming Maguire's way. Some of the criticism towards him is that which you would expect directed at bad apples – poor characters who undermine their clubs or teams. 

"Maguire is not that. But strong reactions are inevitable when you become an £80million player. 

"Criticism of his performance against Germany is valid and justified and Southgate must assess if Maguire is mentally right for a World Cup, able to show he can put all the issues behind him. 

"In the past, it is something Maguire has struggled with. How can the manager make such a big call before the opening game against Iran unless Maguire is playing for his club?

"'We've got to pick our best and experienced players unless we're in a situation where it is almost untenable,' Southgate said on Monday night. Unfortunately for Maguire, we may already be at that stage."

With Ten Hag preferring Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez at the heart of a new-look United defence, Carragher thinks the time has come for Maguire to call time on his spell at Old Trafford.

"Too often, it looks as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders, like he is a startled bunny more than the authoritative centre-back he was," Carragher added.

"I think it is too late at club level. I wrote last year he was fighting for his Manchester United career.  He needs this to be his final season at Old Trafford and start afresh. Now it is England's problem.

"When I watched Maguire in the last two games, I felt sorry for him. But that is not a good look for any sports person. Sympathy will not get him back where he was two years ago."

Having failed to win any of their last six matches, England are experiencing their longest winless run going into a major tournament, and their worst patch of form since another sequence of six games without victory in 1993.

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool's owners "expect me to sort it out" when asked if he feared going the same way as compatriot Thomas Tuchel.

Klopp's fellow German coach was dismissed by Chelsea on Wednesday, with new Blues owner Todd Boehly cutting ties with the former Paris Saint-Germain boss in the wake of Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

That was Tuchel's 100th match in charge of Chelsea in all competitions. In his 18 months at the helm, he guided the Blues to a Champions League success, a Super Cup triumph and Club World Cup glory, as well as three domestic finals.

Chelsea failed to win any of those three domestic finals, with two of them coming as penalty shoot-out losses to Klopp's Liverpool last season.

The Reds, meanwhile, have hardly enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign. A 9-0 hammering of Bournemouth aside, Liverpool have looked a shadow of their best, and were thrashed 4-1 by Napoli in their opening Champions League match on Wednesday.

It was the heaviest defeat suffered by an English side in their Champions League opener since Arsenal lost 3-0 to Inter in 2003, while it also marked Liverpool's joint-worst loss in the competition.

Yet asked if he was worried for his future, Klopp – who has been at Anfield since 2015 – told reporters: "Not really, but who knows? The difference [between us and Chelsea] is we have different kinds of owners.

"Ours are calm and expect me to sort it and not think someone else will."

Klopp has plenty of goodwill in the bank, given the enormous success he has enjoyed at Liverpool, taking the Reds to three Champions League finals, and winning one in 2019, as well as their maiden Premier League title (2020) and winning both of England's domestic cups this year.

Jamie Carragher, who helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, is concerned as to what the immediate future might hold, however.

Carragher, a pundit for CBS Sports, said: "The problem is not that game, forget this game, for me the big worry is that is this almost something that’s going to carry on through the season, is this the end of a cycle, have Liverpool massively got their transfer ideas wrong?

"This team looks so far off it and it has been at full pelt for five or six years under Jurgen Klopp and in seven games Liverpool have played this season, they've conceded the first goal in five, so they're not starting games well.

"I'm not going to criticise their attitude because what this team have done, certainly in Europe, the Premier League – the mentality is fantastic – but is this a massive drop off physically? Can this team get it back, that's the worry for me. What's going to happen in the future for this team?

"This is only the fourth game Liverpool have lost in 2022, it shows how consistent they've been, but the performances, more than the results, are what's worrying me right now."

Erling Haaland could become the greatest player in Premier League history after making an astonishing start to his Manchester City career, according to Jamie Carragher.

Haaland has been in electrifying form for Pep Guardiola's champions since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, hitting nine goals in his first five league appearances for City.

That haul is the best managed by any player in their first five Premier League outings, and the towering Norwegian became the first player since Harry Kane in December 2017 to score back-to-back hat-tricks in the competition against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

The City striker has averaged a goal every 43 minutes of league action this season, and Carragher believes Premier League fans are witnessing something special.

"I'd probably say Man City have had a really good window, with the players they've brought in," he told Sky Sports.

"They lost a lot of attacking players, but you look at Haaland… [Julian] Alvarez's start already, he looks [to have] real quality.

"Haaland's the one that jumps out at you, he just looks absolutely amazing.

"We know we've got a great player in the league, but I think we've got something really, really, special, where when he's finished his time at Man City or in the Premier League, we'll be taking about him alongside Thierry Henry.

"I think this lad could end up being the best player we've seen in the Premier League, I really do. He's that special and he's made a brilliant start." 

Should Haaland find the net when City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, he would become just the fifth player to score in his first three away Premier League games (after Peter Beardsley, Jurgen Klinsmann, Francesco Baiano and Alen Boksic).

Given the 22-year-old's incredible form, he will likely also have his eye on becoming the first player in the competition's history to score a hat-trick in three consecutive appearances.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another former Dortmund striker to have made a Premier League move, reuniting with former BVB boss Thomas Tuchel by swapping Barcelona for Chelsea.

While the 33-year-old's time at Arsenal ended in acrimonious fashion in January, Carragher believes his arrival represents a welcome boost for Chelsea.

"He's a quality player, there's no doubt about that, and I think it's a good signing," he said.

"People may question Arsenal's role for this, the fact they've let him go for free and Chelsea are paying money for him [less than] 12 months later.

"I think it's a good signing for Chelsea, but I also think it was the right decision for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, look where they are right now.

"Aubameyang, we know what he brings, goals and quality. Thomas Tuchel knows him, he's worked with him at Borussia Dortmund as well, and as a neutral, I'm delighted he's in the Premier League. He's a brilliant player."

Jamie Carragher says Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United is "a big worry" as the Reds' winless start to the Premier League season stretched to a third match.

A 16th-minute goal from Jadon Sancho put United into an early lead before Marcus Rashford added a second eight minutes into the second half. 

Mohamed Salah got a goal back for Liverpool with nine minutes remaining, but the hosts held on to claim a memorable victory.

Defeat for Liverpool at Old Trafford means they are down in 16th in the embryonic table, already seven points off early pacesetters Arsenal and five adrift of Manchester City.

Liverpool have now conceded the first goal in their last seven consecutive Premier League games, and Carragher is concerned by what he saw from his former side.

"Today is a big worry," he told Sky Sports. "It's not the result – you can come to Manchester United and lose, it's a tough place to come. 

"But it was the manner of the way they started the game, a derby game. Manchester United, it was obvious how they were going to start the game. 

"They had to start the first 15, 20 minutes like their lives depended on it and get this crowd involved. And they did. And it was like Liverpool weren't ready."

Left-back Andy Robertson bemoaned his side's poor first-half showing as Liverpool suffered a first league loss of 2022.

"It’s definitely not been the start of the season we wanted – we've been really poor," he told Sky Sports.

"We give every team a goal headstart, which is the base of the game. You can't keep giving yourself an uphill battle. 

"We've conceded an early goal again, started slow again, and that's what needs to change.

"The warm-up is probably the quietest I've ever heard this stadium. They wanted something to lift them, and we unfortunately gave them it."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has labelled Manchester United's conduct in the transfer window as "embarrassing".

United sit bottom of the infant Premier League table after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford, with unrest among the supporters being widely documented as they push for the removal of the Glazers' ownership.

Frustration has also stemmed in the transfer market, where United have struggled to land their top targets and have seen a hunt for a new midfielder receive widespread criticism.

Erik ten Hag's side had agreed a deal with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot but pulled out due to the Frenchman's wage demands, while they have chased Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong throughout the summer without making a breakthrough.

United are now widely reported to be pushing for a deal to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid and Carragher has highlighted how the difference between the three players shows the deep-lying issues with the club's recruitment.

"Just look at the Adrien Rabiot deal, which collapsed this week due to the player's wage demands," Carragher wrote in the Telegraph.

"If you are a club like United, you should not be pulling out of transfers - after agreeing a fee with the selling team - due to wage demands. Someone at the club should already know what sort of salary the player wants, long before it reaches this point.

"They have also spent weeks chasing Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, and now they are running around trying to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid. 

"From De Jong, to Rabiot, to Casemiro. They are all different players with different styles and ages. What is the plan here? Where is the strategy? It is embarrassing."

Carragher compared United's transfer approach to that of Liverpool's and the rest of the Premier League, identifying that time and patience is the key to success.

"You have to be patient and do things properly. Liverpool trust in the plans they have put in place, and that is what most top clubs are doing," he explained.

"When you look at United, it reminds you of a team in the bottom three of the Premier League, frantically trying to make a few late signings in the January transfer window. Top clubs should never be panicking like this.

"To be clear, I have very few complimentary things to say about United's current squad of players, as I don't think many of them have the required character or personality to play for the club. 

"But it is evident that their struggles are part of a wider problem, stretching back years."