Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes hang by a thread after Liverpool gained a measure of revenge for their League Cup final heartache with a 3-0 triumph at Anfield. “The most important thing is to recover our performance in the Premier League because we lost those last three”.
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Liverpool’s big names Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho were rested for the City victory and McManaman believes most of Klopp’s problems stem from his squad.
“I can not say we are close to this decision or that decision but we work the whole day and it is not only preparing for games”.
Manchester United are now level on points with fourth placed City after a late dramatic goal from Juan Mata sealed a 1-0 win at home to Watford.
“The answer is train as well as you can and he is in a really good way”.
“We have only two tournaments left – that’s good news”. “I am not thinking about the title and not thinking not to qualify for the Champions League”. Mamadou Sakho is a doubt for the game after suffering a head injury in the final, while Martin Skrtel could finally return from his hamstring injury. The Reds lost to the same side in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday, after extra-time on penalties. “We played Champions League and then League Cup final and I saw the team was not fresh and Liverpool played better”, Pellegrini told the BBC.
Pellegrini was emphatic in his backing for Sterling in the build-up to this game, stating he had no doubt that the winger would cope with the pressure of his first Anfield appearance since leaving to join City last summer. “The boys did brilliant, they were very angry in a positive way”, Klopp explained.
“We don’t have to be first or anything (in the transfer market), but in the end we have to plan for the future and that is what we are doing”, he added.
“I am too old to think from now on we will play like this all the time. We showed from the first second it won’t be easy for Man City”.
“Being exhausted in this moment of the season is nothing to talk about because everybody could be, it was more about the mental thing”.
“Yes we are planning for next season”, the German manager attested.
“With their quality City can always win and score decisive goals but tonight we made it really hard for them”.
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Liverpool flew out of the blocks and ensured the City players had precious little time on the ball in the opening exchanges, but for all their endeavour they were unable to create any chances of note as City slowly started to grow into the game.
