Momentum is a curious concept in a Premier League title race. Raheem Sterling spoke about it after Manchester City’s win at Burnley, their 13th consecutive in all competitions. Jurgen Klopp was less keen.
“The more you win, the better you feel,” Sterling told BT Sport. “We’ve done a professional result today. Going into [the Liverpool game], it’s the same as today – we’ll try to keep our focus and go for the win!”
Klopp could not muster such cheer after watching Liverpool’s consecutive defeat at Anfield. “I have no explanation at the moment other than we had a tough week and a tough opponent,” he said.
Brighton, the victors this time, could barely account for who had scored the winning goal – Steven Alzate, for the record – much less how, three days after beating Tottenham, they had recorded a result which might have implications way beyond their own fight for Premier League survival.
In 2019, when Liverpool were denied the title by a solitary point, it was draws with Leicester and West Ham that proved their undoing. It leads to a suspicion that, no matter what happens when the champions meet City on Sunday afternoon, it is these kind of games which have the potential to undermine their title defence.
Ruthless City set the benchmark
Tellingly, it was Liverpool’s first home defeat to the Seagulls since 1982, a consequence of creating just one shot on target.
Pep Guardiola’s men, by contrast, are on a seemingly inexorable march. Sean Dyche sees games like this one as ‘bonuses’, characterised by his light-hearted mood in a pre-match press conference in which he discussed at length his resemblance to Mick Hucknall.
If Burnley did not know Ilkay Gundogan by now, then they were made to pay attention as the midfielder registered his second assist – to add to his five goals – in the last month. The German international increasingly looks a candidate for Player of the Year.
That takes some doing in a City side in which it is difficult to shine even when Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero are both absent. In their recent unbeaten run, they have now scored 33 and conceded just three.
Even when Liverpool have been averting their mini-crisis of late, with two 3-1 away wins over Tottenham and West Ham, they have been unable to keep a clean sheet. Jordan Henderson was tasked with partnering Nat Phillips again, with new signing Ben Davies watching from the bench and Ozan Kabak yet to receive international clearance.
Liverpool’s defensive injury list would be an easy out, however, if Klopp is forced come the end of the season to consider where it all went wrong. The absence of Sadio Mane at least excused another blank showing up front.
And so back to Anfield, where on Sunday, the two giants who have battled for supremacy over the past three years meet once again in a game which has the potential to crush Liverpool’s hopes of holding onto the crown.
It is hard to see how, on present form, they plan on keeping touch as City break away from the pack.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3auFr9j
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