Didi Hamann thinks that Liverpool are now favourites to win the Premier League title.
Hamman was Speaking to Sky Sports via Football Daily on Twitter. The former Liverpool man claimed that the way in which Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League last night will have a damaging affect on Pep Guardiola’s team.
“If you lose a game like this – you concede two goals in the last minute when you were all but through, then in extra time you concede a penalty and you go out the competition, morale will suffer,” he said.
“It won’t be easy to lift the team, I think yesterday’s game probably swung the league in Liverpool’s favour as well.”
With just minutes to go in the game last night, this scenario looked impossible. After such a morale-sapping turnaround, City will need a big reaction if they are to salvage anything from their season.
Hammer blow for Man City
It remains to be seen just how Guardiola and his team will treat their remaining games. Whereas Liverpool have two cup finals to look forward to, City now have only their four Premier League matches to play.
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With no other distractions, it could be that the Citizens simply plough through the remaining opponents. In that respect, maybe yesterday’s result was bad news for Liverpool’s title chances.
On the other hand though, as Hamann points out, they didn’t just lose to Real Madrid, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
The kind of mental toll that a defeat like that can have on a team at the end of the season could be massive. Tired minds and legs could shut down as one of their ultimate goals for the campaign disintegrated.
City also have one or two players who may not be at the club next season. Players like Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus were all openly on the market last summer. Now that the one trophy they are yet to win with the club has been taken away, perhaps their motivation will take a hit.
Focussing on Spurs
All of this will be played out in the next two-and-a-bit weeks. City are of course good enough to put this all behind them and go again. But perhaps a glimmer of light just opened up in Liverpool’s quadruple hunt.
The Reds must first do their job against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening before City take on Newcastle United on Sunday.
Spurs are fighting tooth and nail for a top four spot and will be confident they can take something from Liverpool at Anfield.
If The Reds can come through with three points in the bag though, City’s mental fortitude will be put right to the test the following day. A curveball has been put in play, it’s still all to play for!