STEVE McMANAMAN believes Liverpool would win the Barclays Premier League title if there were eight games remaining.

However, the former Anfield winger believes that his old club’s best form of the season has come just too late for them to pip Manchester United.

Liverpool have won eight of their last nine league games and picked up 25 of the last 27 available points.

But they have only two matches remaining and it appears that impressive run will not be enough to stop United becoming champions again and crucially equalling Liverpool’s all-time English record of 18 titles.

The Old Trafford club need four points to clinch the crown and could secure them from two games this week, at Wigan tonight and at home to Arsenal on Saturday.

If they still need points by the end of the weekend, United will still have a final-day trip to relegation-threatened Hull ahead of them.

McManaman expects manager Rafael Benitez to spend in the summer to improve on any shortcomings of the current campaign and believes Liverpool could be even stronger next term.

He said: “Unfortunately it has all come a little too late this season. But they must be full of optimism for next season. And I expect Rafa (Benitez) to rectify in the summer that little lacking in creativity.

“The difference between them and Manchester United is match-winners on the bench.

“United have had the likes of Carlos Tevez to come on and change things, but if you looked at Liverpool’s bench that match-winning quality was not there. Rafa knows that, I believe he will put that straight in the summer.”