Title beckons for City after Liverpool slip

Liverpool's extraordinary 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace means that Manchester City can close to within touching distance of the Premier League title by beating Aston Villa on Wednesday.

With the top two neck-and-neck on 80 points and with two games to play each, City were braced for a repeat of the 2012 campaign, when they pipped Manchester United to the title on goal difference on the final day.

However, Liverpool's late capitulation at Selhurst Park on Monday, when they let a 3-0 lead slip in the last 11 minutes, means that City now effectively need only four points to regain the title.

Both their last matches are at home, with West Ham United following Villa to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and with a goal difference of +59 to Liverpool's +50, they can afford to drop two points and still finish on top.

City midfielder Samir Nasri was unable to contain his delight at Liverpool's slip-up, tweeting shortly after the game: "What a game, what a league. I love Crystal Palace so much. Now our turn to do the job."

While both Villa and West Ham have nothing to play for this season, Yaya Toure has warned his City team-mates not to take them lightly.

"Both Aston Villa and West Ham are sharp and will come to just enjoy the games, but we have a league to play for," said the Ivorian midfielder.

"I hope we complete the job, but it depends how sharp we are, how we prepare mentally and physically.

"Our target was always to win something, but for us the League Cup is not enough. The Premier League was always our target, so now we need to be at our optimum levels when Aston Villa come to our stadium on Wednesday."

He added: "We definitely expect to win it. As a team at the top, you always expect to win.
"We have worked so hard this year and, if we don't win, it would be a massive disappointment for us, for the fans and for the club as well."

Toure has declared himself fit after being substituted during the second half of Saturday's 3-2 win at Everton.

City also hope that Sergio Aguero will be able to lead the line against Villa despite having gone off due to a groin complaint in the first half of Saturday's game.

The Argentine left the fray in the 28th minute at Goodison Park, but he subsequently took to Twitter to reveal that his substitution had merely been "a precaution".

Villa also have concerns over the fitness of a key forward, after Gabriel Agbonlahor was forced off during the 3-1 defeat of Hull City on Saturday with a knee problem.

Norwich City's 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday means that Villa are now safe from relegation, but the club continue to be dogged by uncertainty over the future of manager Paul Lambert.

Villa's American owner Randy Lerner is due to make an announcement on his own position at the club shortly and Lambert says that his fate could be closely tied to Lerner's.

Asked if he would be staying at Villa Park, Lambert replied: "I hope so. That is what I want to do, but you'll know when the chairman says what he is going to do.

"The next step is for the chairman to come out and say. We had to get over the line and then the chairman will come out and say what he will.

"You would love to do it. It is a brilliant club to drive on. That's why I said the most important thing for this club was to stay in this league."

Villa won this season's reverse fixture in September 3-2 thanks to a 75th-minute goal by Andreas Weimann, but they have not won at the Etihad in the league since a 2-0 success in April 2007.

Rodgers proud despite Liverpool collapse 

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side would reflect on their season with pride despite seeing their title bid seriously compromised in a remarkable 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.

Liverpool led 3-0 with 11 minutes remaining in Monday's Premier League game at Selhurst Park, only for Palace to score three times in the closing stages to leave the visitors' title challenge on the rocks.

Manchester City now require only four points from their last two games to effectively claim the championship and Rodgers conceded afterwards: "I think Manchester City will go on and win it."

Liverpool's players were a picture of distress at the final whistle, with Luis Suarez covering his face with his shirt to hide his sobs and captain Steven Gerrard ushering away approaching television cameras.

Rodgers said that his side's defending had been "criminal" and described the game's final moments as "crazy".

But while he admitted that the disappointment of letting victory slip in such calamitous fashion was difficult to stomach, he said that Liverpool should not lose sight of the progress that they have made.

Asked if he was proud of his team, who had finished a distant seventh last season, Rodgers said: "Incredibly.

"It's 99 goals we're on, this season. The season before I came in (in June 2012), the team had finished on 47. For us to keep improving like we have been gives me immense pride.

"When we've got time to reflect on this at the end of the season, we will see it has been an outstanding season for Liverpool.

"It does not take away the pain of now, but we will look where we need to improve and continue to get better.

"We have made great strides, but I am certainly here to fight and win titles and I will be relentless in that."

Rodgers added: "We are trying to build something sustainable. This season has shown we will be capable of doing that."

Liverpool had approached the game knowing that goal difference was likely to be a factor in the title race, as they were level on points with City, who had a goal difference advantage of nine goals.

They took an 18th-minute lead through a header from Joe Allen, but Rodgers was critical of the zeal with which they went in search of further goals, saying: "We thought we could play 'Roy of the Rovers' football and make the goal difference up."

Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Suarez early in the second period looked to have wrapped the game up, only for a deflected Damien Delaney effort to give Palace a foothold before substitute Dwight Gayle claimed a late brace.

Rodgers voiced tentative optimism that Aston Villa might do his side a favour when they visit City on Wednesday, but he admitted that Liverpool's defensive lapses were likely to have cost them dear.

"Under those little moments of pressure, we have to be better," he said.

"You never know. Aston Villa are an outstanding counter-attacking team. Paul Lambert will get them organised and I'm sure it'll be difficult for them (City) to get the win. But I see Man City as the clear favourites."

Palace's extraordinary fightback allowed them to bow out in front of their home supporters in memorable fashion after avoiding relegation from the top flight for the first time in the Premier League era.

Manager Tony Pulis, who has led the club from the foot of the table to 11th place since succeeding Ian Holloway in November, revealed that he is now due to hold talks over his future with chairman Steve Parish.

"We're having a chat on Wednesday or Thursday, when me and Steve will get out of London and have a night together to sit down and talk," he said.

"This is a smashing club with fantastic support and potential, but it's a way behind what it should be."

 

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