Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has admitted that his team cannot afford to lose against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Premier League champions are already 8 points adrift of their rivals and, asked whether his team must avoid defeat at Anfield if they want to remain title contenders, Gundogan said:
“To stay in the title race probably, yes, because 11 points would be a huge gap. It’s still early in the season.”
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“There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of things can happen, not just on our side but at every other team. But obviously, we have to look at ourselves and try to do the things we can do better, as quickly as possible.”
“We take it, stay humble, head down and try to put in the work in the next few days and prepare as well as possible for a tough game.”
City need a result to get out of a rut
Pep Guardiola’s side had the perfect opportunity to go into the Liverpool game with some confidence, but they somehow managed to squander a 3-0 lead against Feyenoord on Tuesday evening.
It means that there are even more question marks about the team heading into the top-of-the-table clash this weekend. If they can secure a win or even just a point versus the Reds, though, it could help right the ship.
What do the statisticians say about City retaining their title?
Opta have given the Cityzens a 14.92% chance of finishing in 1st place. Liverpool, on the other hand, are now regarded as heavy favourites, with their title win probability having increased to 76.73%.
Arsenal have been given a 7.42% chance while Chelsea’s percentage is even smaller at 0.7%, despite both clubs only being a point behind Guardiola’s team in the league table.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here