Rick Edwards claims Liverpool will ‘get a hiding’ against elite opposition

Liverpool sit top of the Premier League and have won nine of their first 10 matches in all competitions under Arne Slot, but some pundits remain unconvinced about the Reds.

The head coach has applied a note of caution to his team’s tremendous start to the campaign by pointing out that, on paper, they haven’t had the toughest fixture demands as of yet, with Nottingham Forest (who won at Anfield) in 10th the highest placed of anyone they’ve met in the top flight so far.

Speaking on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast, Rick Edwards has predicted that LFC’s fortunes will take a turn for the worse once they come up against a higher calibre of opposition.

Edwards expecting Liverpool to ‘get a hiding’

The presenter claimed: “I don’t mean to be inflammatory, but I think Liverpool are going to get a hiding as soon as they play a decent team.”

His incendiary comments prompted a shocked reaction from fellow pundit Nigel Reo-Coker, who simply replied ‘wow’ in response to Edwards’ doom-mongering prediction.

Liverpool’s defensive record suggests otherwise

Granted, Liverpool have perhaps had a relatively gentle start to the season in terms of the opposition they’ve faced, and their recent wins over Wolves and Crystal Palace (20th and 18th respectively) were hard-earned.

However, it’s still disingenuous of Edwards to claim that the Reds will ‘get a hiding’ when they come up against a team challenging near the top of the table, or high-calibre opposition in the Champions League.

Irrespective of which teams they’ve played thus far, to concede just two goals in seven top-flight matches (and four in 10 games across all competitions) is an imperious record, and it certainly doesn’t suggest that LFC will be in for a thrashing any time soon.

Even in the one game we’ve lost this season, that was by a 1-0 margin against Forest, whose own start to the campaign deserves plenty of praise.

Yes, Liverpool have bigger tests to come than what they’ve faced so far – it’ll take something special to claim maximum points from the 12 on offer against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa when the Premier League resumes later this month – but everything up to now indicates that they’ll confidently meet those challenges head-on.

If anything, Edwards might’ve inadvertently done us a favour with his comments, which should provide the perfect motivation for Slot and his players to serve their critics some humble pie by continuing to lead the way in the Premier League!