Video: Darren Bent has backed Liverpool to challenge for the title next season | OneFootball

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent has backed Liverpool to be the closest challengers to Manchester City in the Premier League next season.

Bent has claimed Liverpool’s season has been derailed by injuries and believes they will bounce back stronger next term if they are able to call upon their best players throughout the campaign.

The ex-England international has pointed out that Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota have all been on the sidelines for chunks of the season, causing Liverpool to stumble in the Premier League.

Prior to his injury in December, Jota had scored four goals in his previous six games with two of his appearances coming off the bench. He had also managed four goals in the six Champions League group stage games. This shows how important he was to Liverpool in the early parts of the season and why his injury was a blow, as Bent explains.

READ: Thiago’s three-word tweet has some Liverpool fans talking

VIDEO: Andy Robertson’s honest opinion on top four chances

The injuries to Gomez and van Dijk have also dismantled Liverpool’s title-winning defence. Van Dijk played all 38 games in the 2019/20 Premier League season, whilst Gomez was his most consistent partner with 28 appearances at the back. This has led to plenty of chopping and changing from Klopp at centre-back, failing to find a regular partnership in the Premier League.

Henderson has also been absent for the Reds this season. The England international has only started 20 Premier League games due to injury, which Bent has said is a blow for Liverpool as he is their captain and brings leadership qualities on the pitch when he plays.

TalkSport posted the clip on Twitter, with Bent explaining why he has backed Liverpool to challenge Manchester City next season.