Rodgers lays down gauntlet to beaten City
Liverpool's Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, Northwest England, on March 16, 2014. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS
London
Vanquished 3-2 by Premier League leaders Liverpool at the weekend, Manchester City have an immediate opportunity to trim their title rivals’ advantage when they host Sunderland on Wednesday.
Liverpool’s victory at a raucous Anfield on Sunday took them seven points clear of City, who have two games in hand, and two points above Chelsea, leaving them four victories from a first league title since 1990.
The game against City had been billed as a title decider, and having seen his side prevail thanks to a 78th-minute Philippe Coutinho strike, manager Brendan Rodgers (left) urged his players simply to keep going.
“We’ve been put under pressure in a very big game against a big opponent, but you can see from our football that we are coping,” said the Northern Irishman, whose side have won 10 consecutive league matches.
“My message to the players is to continue. We don’t need to change. We played with no fear. You can see that, whether it is the big opponent like Manchester City or at Norwich City next week.
“Manchester City have still got a couple of games in hand, but to win 10 successive games in the Premier League is a great achievement, and hopefully 10 will become 11 next week.”
