Jamie Carragher believes Manchester United and Manchester City are already out of the Premier League title race, four months before the end of the 2016/17 season.

The former Liverpool defender believes just four clubs are left in the running for the title following the weekend’s results, which saw United draw 1-1 with Liverpool and City suffer a humiliating 4-0 defeat by Everton that came as manager Pep Guardiola’s heaviest loss of his career in the dugout.

With City 10 points off Premier League leaders Chelsea, and United a further two points behind, Carragher feels that neither Manchester club can win the title anymore even though early-season predictions saw the pair tipped for a two-horse race.

“I think four (teams can win it),” Carragher said on Monday Night Football on Sky Sports 1.

“I don't think the Manchester clubs can. I think two or three games into the season we felt they were the two who would battle for the league.

“They're 10 and 12 points behind. City have still got to go to Chelsea. Goal difference is almost double for Chelsea, which is an extra point, so I only see Arsenal and above who can win the title.”

City’s season could get even worse this weekend as they face Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium, the side who inflicted Guardiola’s first defeat as City manager back in October following a 11-match unbeaten run.

Since the 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane, City have won just nine out of 22 matches in all competitions and the weekend loss at Everton even brought the same admission out of Guardiola that City are no longer able to challenge for the title.

Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings David de Gea: 6 The Spaniard had little to do, and thus there is little praise to offer him. He couldn't do much to stop Bailly's own goal, which cruelly slipped inside his near post. Getty Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Antonio Valencia: 7 Found Mane a difficult opposite number as Liverpool looked to exploit the left flank after Ashley Young proved to be an immovable object. Kept to his task well, though. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Chris Smalling: 6 Lost van Dijk twice from corners and on another day he could well have been punished. But he got away with it, and helped United see the game through. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Eric Bailly: 7 An unfortunate own goal marred an otherwise solid display. United look far more assured with him in the side Getty Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Ashley Young: 9 He used all of his winger pedigree to stifle one of the best players in the division. Salah did not get a sniff. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Nemanja Matic 8 Another solid dsplay marshalling United's rearguard action.Ran proceedings from the heart of midfield. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Scott McTominay 7 A quiet but effective performance from the Scot alongside Matic. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Juan Mata: 6 Could have written his name into United folklore with an overhead kick in the first half, but it wsan't to be. Solid defensively and creative going forward. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Alexis Sanchez: 6 Another anonymous display. Effective pressing and important in link play, but yet to make his mark for United. The wait for the breakthrough moment goes on. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Marcus Rashford: 9 An outstanding display for the academy product. Two crucial goals on his first start since boxing day. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Romelu Lukaku: 8 Isolated in the second half as United sat deep, but his hold-up play was crucial to United's first half double. Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Lorius Karius: 6 Little he could about both goals which were expertly taken. Relatively untroubled thereafter. AFP/Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5 A tough afternoon for the youngster, who met his match in Marcus Rashford. Man Utd via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Dejan Lovren: 5 Completely dominated by Lukaku, especially in the first period. Grew into the game, but questions will remain about who should partner van Dijk. REUTERS Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Virgil van Dijk: 5 Missed two big chances from corners, but defensively found himself unstuck as Liverpool struggled to deal Lukaku and Rashford. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Andy Robertson: 7 The Scottish full back put in a solid display and was effective going forward. Liverpool's best defensive performer. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Emre Can: 6 Struggled against McTominay and Matic in an otherwise unremarkable display. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings James Milner: 6 Creativity is not normally an issue for Liverpool but they lacked it in midfield. United's defensive performance played a part, but for Milner, it was a game to forget. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 5 : A frustrating afternoon for Oxlande Chamberlain. Booked early on for a foul on McTominay, and never really got going. He was unsurprisingly subbed just after the hour mark. AFP/Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Sadio Mane: 7 A threat with his direct running and caused Valencia a number of problems. His cross led to Liverpool's goal, a meritable return on a frustrating afternoon. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Mohamed Salah: 5 He won't have found Ashley Young's pocked a comfortable place to reside. A frustrating afternoon for the Egyptian, who revealed himself to be human after all. Getty Images Manchester United vs Liverpool player ratings Roberto Firmino: 6 The Brazilian offered a link between midfield and attack but didn't have any opportunities of note. A stifled afternoon for the former Hoffenheim man. Getty Images

United aren’t so pessimistic though, and after embarking on a 16-match unbeaten run of their own, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic talked up their chances of closing the gap on the teams above them.

“Imagine if we’d got those [extra] points [earlier in the season], where we’d be now?” Ibrahimovic said. “It’d be a big difference. But, okay, we’re paying for it. We had a gap where there was a distance to the top five but now we’re closer. From second to us is five points, Chelsea is 12. We are there, we just wait for the other ones to do mistakes.

Guardiola has ruled his own side out of the title race (Getty)