Gary Neville says Liverpool must make sure that Manchester City win their last two matches of the season in order to become Premier League champions.
Liverpool bounced back from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and the midweek Europa League exit to Atalanta by securing a 3-1 away win at Fulham on Sunday afternoon. Arsenal keep Jurgen Klopp’s side off top spot on goal difference after their win at Wolves, with City playing in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.
It means the champions have a game in hand over their title rivals, with eight matches left to play in the league. Neville pinpointed Tottenham away - the penultimate fixture of the Premier League season - as City’s biggest banana skin.
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Pep Guardiola's side have not won in the league away at Spurs since April 2021, although they did beat them there in the FA Cup third round in January. Liverpool play again before City do and could open up a points gap with a midweek Merseyside derby win.
Neville says ensuring City keep having to play catch-up is the best way to pressurise Guardiola's side into a slip-up. “They’ve got a chance," he said of Liverpool's title chances on his Sky Sports podcast. “Being four points ahead when City play again is huge. Applying pressure.
“Jurgen Klopp’s job is to try and win the title this season but also for these players, a lot of them at Liverpool are new but they’re answering the question around, can they live in a title race, can they live with Manchester City - because there’s next season to think about as well when a new manager comes in.”
Neville later underlined the importance of City’s trip to Tottenham on May 14 while conducting punditry for Sky Sports following Liverpool’s win at Craven Cottage, for which he was on co-commentary.
He added: “There’s a stand out game - Manchester City going to Tottenham in the last week. Arsenal and Liverpool have got to be thinking ‘get to that game’.
"Put the pressure on City to have to win the last two games, one of them being Tottenham away. That’s their job - they gave up the role of being in control last weekend, they’ve got to try and get to that game in their minds.”
Neville continued: “Arsenal and Liverpool have to think that they’ve got to win every game, and go on the run of their lives. They’re capable of it.”
