Liverpool turn to Rodgers to halt Man City
Manchester City must overhaul Liverpool once more in a titanic Premier League title race when Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers attempts to help out his old club at the Etihad on Monday.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool won 5-0 away to Porto in the Champions League last season and are 2-0 up from the first leg of this quarter-final tie. AFP/MIGUEL RIOPA
The destiny of the title remains in City’s hands as Pep Guardiola’s men have two games to play to Liverpool’s one.
But the Reds refuse to give up on a first league title in 29 years as Divock Origi’s late winner in a thrilling 3-2 victory at Newcastle on Saturday sent them two points ahead at the top of the table once more.
Rodgers came closer to ending that drought than any other Liverpool boss over the past three decades as his side fell just two points short of City in 2013/14.
And in just over two months in charge, the Northern Irishman has rejuvenated the Foxes to give Leicester an outside chance of European football next season if they win their final two games of the season.
“I think Brendan shows his incredible quality as a manager that in just two months his team play already they way he wants to play,” said City boss Pep Guardiola.
“They are so fast players, they have incredible quality. I was really impressed with the way they play, the players know it will be an incredible task for us, but of course it’s already a final for us.”
However, Liverpool have been waiting a long time for City to slip up.
Guardiola’s men are on a 12-game winning run in the Premier League and have had the rare luxury of eight days off since they edged out Burnley 1-0 last weekend.
Yet, with City travelling to lowly Brighton on the final day of the season with the Seagulls now safe after Cardiff’s relegation on Saturday, Leicester and Rodgers present their best chance of springing a surprise.
The Foxes beat City when the sides last met in December and held Liverpool at Anfield in January.
Leicester also thrashed Arsenal 3-0 last weekend in their most complete performance since Rodgers took charge and Jamie Vardy has enjoyed the change of management more than most by bagging nine goals in eight games.
“We’ve got real speed in the team. You’ve got to be super compact as a team and tight,” said Rodgers on the thread of Vardy.
“They’re littered with world class players and world class players will always find the space.
“You’ve got to try and nullify the space and then you know that when you break through that pressure there’s going to be space, and that’s something this team are very, very good at.”
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