Liverpool are competing for four titles so far
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp described his team’s upcoming match in the English Premier League against Manchester City as “big”, adding that there was no way to overlook it.
Last January, not many expected the match scheduled for April 10, between City and Liverpool, to be so important in the English Premier League race.
When City beat Chelsea 1-0 on January 15, they deepened their lead over Liverpool by 14 points in the league standings.
And although Liverpool had two games in hand, Manchester City seemed to be walking alone, unchallenged, towards the podium.
But since then Liverpool have won all the matches they have played. And he sits, after his victory over Watford, at the top of the league table, albeit for a short period.
As soon as Klopp sat down to talk to reporters after his team’s match against Watford, City opened the scoring in its match against Burley, to regain the top spot.
The journalists’ conversation with the Liverpool coach suddenly turned from the Watford match to the fiery confrontation against the leaders, Manchester City.
Game experts, such as former England captain Alan Shearer, Wales captain Ashley Williams, and Scottish national team player James McFadden, believe that the match is of great importance, and that it will be decisive in determining the league champion.
McFadden believes that “whoever wins this match will be crowned the league champion.”
It is now impossible to lose sight of the fact, which is that Sunday’s match at Al Ittihad Stadium will be decisive. Only one point separates the two teams in the standings, with them equal in the number of matches played by each team.
Pep Guardiola must have been upset by wasting the big difference that separated his team from his pursuit of Liverpool, but he accepted the challenge, saying, “We will fight (for the title).”
“The opponents are a strong and excellent team, but they said they wanted a real fight, and we accepted the challenge.”
But he also realizes that Manchester City is no longer allowed to falter, even once, as it must win all the remaining 8 matches, to retain the title.
Guardiola says: “We hope that Liverpool will drop some points against us, but other than that, I don’t think they will miss any point.”
“We have to take the pressure. We did it when we had to win 14 games in a row, to snatch the league championship from Liverpool in 2019. And this time we have to win 8 games, otherwise we won’t win the title.”
While City seeks to win three titles this season, and the league championship for the fourth time in 5 seasons, Liverpool, who won the league two years ago, is dreaming of an unprecedented quartet.
Liverpool have won the League Cup and are still competing for the League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Klopp expressed his delight at the state of his team.
“I spoke to the youth yesterday and said to them: If someone told us in the summer that we are at the end of March and early April we will be in this situation, competing on all fronts, and we won a title, we would rejoice in that.”
“The better situation than this might be to be 20 points ahead of Manchester City, which is of course impossible.”
When the difference reached what it reached in January, observers and analysts agreed that the matter of the league championship was settled.
Former Wolves captain Ashley Williams says: “I remember thinking at the time that the league championship was really decided and it was done.”
“For me, Liverpool used to play without pressure, because they had nothing to lose, but now the pressure has changed, and they have something to lose.”
“It’s the end of an exciting season.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer also believed the league championship was done, but now he sees who will win as a matter of guesswork.
He says that Liverpool has a good opportunity to put pressure on City, “When you look at the position they were in two months ago, you imagine that the championship was over. But they managed to make up for the huge difference, and return to the competition for leadership.”
“I think the league is now like a lottery. Everything will be decided next weekend.”
how will end Race؟
After hosting Liverpool, City will face Brighton, Watford, Newcastle and Aston Villa at their stadium. And travels to meet Leeds, West Ham and Wolverhampton.
As for Liverpool, it will host at the same time Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham and Wolverhampton at its home, and plays away matches against Newcastle, Southampton and Aston Villa.
And the former Scottish national team striker, James McFadden, says that the advantage for the City team in terms of the remaining matches, if we compare them to the matches of Liverpool. But City will play two matches against Atletico Madrid also in the Champions League.
“It’s a difficult series of matches for City, but it is better than the matches that Liverpool will play,” McFadden said.
“I think that the decision will be next week. I imagine that whoever wins that match will win the league title. I don’t see any of the two teams falter after that.”