Gary Neville has insisted Liverpool need to maintain a healthy gap over Manchester City heading into the last four matches of the season if they are to end their 29-year title wait.
The Sky Sports pundit claims it is a two-horse race between the first and second-placed clubs but insisted the Merseysiders’ lack of title experience means they must stay in front over their rivals.
Liverpool will pull five points clear of City if they beat West Ham at the London Stadium on Monday night.
“Liverpool have got a big job [tonight] now,” Neville told Sky Sports. “Man City are within two points and they have a lot of experience in this squad of winning titles. Aguero looked good today and if he can stay fit towards the end of the season, you just feel like he would grow into it, as will Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva so I think City are very dangerous for this Liverpool team.
“I think two points or five points, whatever it will be tomorrow night after the end of the game, won’t be a gap worth shouting about at all. We’ve got a great three months to look forward to and at this moment in time, the only danger to Man City is City themselves, I think, because if City are neck-and-neck with three or four games to go, I think they will win it.
“They will really have the maturity to come through whereas Liverpool will need that three or four points gap.”
OPINION
Neville is right about how the experience of City and how their knowledge of winning titles could prove critical in the final stages of the season. What is essential for Liverpool is they keep winning and maintain a relentless pace that leaves Pep Guardiola’s side with too much to do in April and May. Victory at West Ham tonight would be a brilliant response to drawing at home to Leicester last Wednesday, a match in which a combination of nerves, a pitch dusted in snow and a few star men, notably Mohamed Salah, being below their best gave the Foxes the invitation they needed to deny Liverpool victory. Jurgen Klopp’s side have had an extended break to get that match out of their systems and should be able to throw everything at a Hammers side that are there for the taking following their capitulation to Wolves last week. West Ham have got some exciting players who will trouble Liverpool, but they are vulnerable, especially in the full-back positions.