Steve McManaman believes England's Premier League big-hitters are the teams to beat in this season's Champions League, as he has predicted new kings are ready take over Europe's elite competition.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have dominated the Champions League landscape over the last five years, yet Liverpool's heroics last season saw them provide England with a first representative in the final of Europe's elite competition since 2012, and McManaman has told Goal that their progress was a sign of things to come.
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"When I look around Europe now, I believe the English teams are the strongest once again," declared BT Sport pundit McManaman, who won the Champions League on two occasions with Real Madrid. "The Premier League clubs are finally ready to break this cycle of Spanish domination and I firmly believe they are ready to do that this season.
"I expect all the English teams to get out of their groups this season, even if Tottenham face the biggest test with Barcelona and Inter Milan in their path, and the reason why I'm so confident is that all the odds are now stacked in the favour of the Premier League quartet.
"The two Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Tottenham teams have big squads that have been together for some time, with none of them needing to sell star players as they merely add quality to their ranks every summer and get stronger and stronger.
"They have huge finances behind them with the television money bigger for the English clubs than all the other teams in Europe and it means they are now looking like teams that will have too much for the rest of the Champions League.
"In the past, English clubs often lost their best players to rivals with more money or prestige, but that is not the case any more, as the Premier League is the place to be both in terms of the football and the finances.
"So I believe we could now be in for a period where the English clubs emerge as the teams to beat in the Champions League once again. We had that for a spell when Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United were getting in semi-finals and finals every year, but English clubs lost their way for five years or so before Liverpool's run to the final last season."
Liverpool will return to Champions League action when they take on Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday, with their former winger McManaman predicting Jurgen Klopp's side are strong contenders to go one better than they did in last May's final and lift the trophy in Madrid.
"Manchester City deserve to be recognised as the favourites, but Liverpool have a bit of a sign over them and I believe Klopp's side are strong contenders for the Champions League once again," he added.
"Liverpool fully deserved to be in last season's final against Real Madrid in Kiev and while they came up short for one reason and another, they showed what they are capable of in knock-out competition in the second half of last season.
"They should now be aiming to be quarter-finalists, semi-finalists every single year in the Champions League and that level of consistency is well within their grasp. If you keep knocking on the door of that competition, eventually your moment will come and that is what Klopp and his players have to believe.
"Success in the Champions League can be dependant on the draw you get and Liverpool got a few breaks on that score last season as they got to the final.
"While they did well to beat Manchester City in the quarter-finals last season, they got Porto and Roma in the knock-out stages and they were very good draws when they could have been paired against Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus or Bayern Munich.
"That is the kind of break you need in this competition because there are draws out there that are basally 50/50 matches that could go either way.
"If Liverpool are drawn against Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in April, it is a game that will be decided by one moment of magic on either side and the one thing Liverpool have got going for them is that they have those magic players to make it happen."
MACCA ON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CONTENDERS
BARCELONA - "Barcelona have strengthened and look like a team that could be competitive this season. When you have Lionel Messi in your side anything is possible and outside of the English teams, Barca would be my pick to go all the way."
REAL MADRID - "It was a strange summer for my old club as they lost Cristiano Ronaldo and didn't replace him with a new superstar. That is one of the main reasons why I say I'd be very surprised if they got to another Champions League final again and won it for a fourth year in a row."
BAYERN MUNICH - "I have felt they were in need of a freshen up for some time now and while they have a new coach in Nico Kovac, they don't really have the new blood in their team that suggests they can win the Champions League this season."
JUVENTUS - "We are all fascinated to see what Cristiano's presence does to Juve. He will undoubtedly strengthen them, but will it be enough to see them win the Champions League? I doubt it."
MANCHESTER UNITED - "Jose Mourinho has a proven record of success and he can find a way to win trophies when you least expect it. Some Man United fans might not like his style of football, but they will not be complaining if they are watching their team in a Champions League final next May. It is unlikely, but not impossible."
MANCHESTER CITY - "They are the favourites for me. The dominant way they won the Premier League was evidence of their undoubted quality and by adding Riyad Mahrez and having Benjamin Mendy back from injury, they are the team to beat."
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