Former Arsenal star names the two players that can push Liverpool towards the Premier League title

Former Arsenal star names the two players that can push Liverpool towards the Premier League title Liverpool Predictions 2026-27: Theo Walcott Sees Title Push, But Iraola Questions Remain Liverpool are difficult to place ahead of the new Premier League season. That is the simple truth. There is a new head coach in Andoni Iraola, a team still carrying scars from a poor 2025/26 campaign, and a squad that has shown both promise and disorder in pre-season. Mixed results have only reinforced the uncertainty. As Theo Walcott told BBC Sport , “Liverpool are probably the hardest team to call. Iraola is an excellent manager and if Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have big seasons, they could absolutely push Arsenal for the title.” That is a serious prediction. It puts Liverpool second in his thinking, behind Arsenal and ahead of clubs with greater continuity. Photo: IMAGO The logic is understandable. Isak changes the level of any attack and Wirtz brings the kind of control and incision Liverpool badly lacked at times last season. If both deliver elite output, Liverpool will win plenty of matches. Few sides can live with sharp, vertical football when the front line clicks. Iraola Faces Early Liverpool Test That said, a title push is still a large claim. Liverpool finished fifth last season for a reason. They were unstable, often passive without the ball, and too easy to hurt in transition. A new manager can improve structure and intensity, but these things do not become reliable overnight. Iraola has a clear identity. His teams play aggressively, press hard and attack with intent. It should make Liverpool more watchable, and probably more dangerous. It should also expose them if the balance is wrong. Pre-season suggested exactly that, moments of fluency followed by moments of chaos. Entertaining, yes. Convincing, not fully. Premier League Title Push Depends on Balance This is where Walcott’s call feels both bold and plausible. Liverpool have enough talent to finish in the top four. They also have enough unresolved issues to miss the top two by some distance. Both things can be true in August. The biggest question is not whether Liverpool can produce high-end performances. They can. The question is whether they can do it repeatedly while limiting the defensive flaws that wreck campaigns. Set pieces, counterattacks and game management remain obvious concerns. Until those are fixed, title talk is more aspiration than expectation. Still, improvement from fifth should be the minimum target. With Isak leading the line, Wirtz creating between the lines and Iraola imposing a more coherent edge, Liverpool ought to move forward. Whether that means second place or fourth probably depends on how quickly the side learns control. Our View From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this feels like one of those seasons where confidence and caution are fighting each other every week. You can see why some people think this team could surprise everyone. Iraola is a proper coach, the football should have more purpose, and players like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz give Liverpool match-winning quality that changes the ceiling of the side. But there is still a lot of uncertainty. Finishing fifth was not some freak accident. Liverpool looked fragile too often last season and those habits do not disappear because a new voice walks through the door. Supporters will want to believe quickly, especially if the attack starts fast, but they will also be watching every set piece and every turnover with a bit of dread. Second place feels optimistic, even if it is not impossible. A top-four finish with signs of real progress would already represent a decent outcome after the mess of the previous campaign. If Liverpool are in the title conversation, brilliant. If they are simply more organised, more intense and more coherent, that would still be meaningful. Right now, unsure is probably the honest position. There is hope, but there is also enough evidence to keep expectations in check.