LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS WILL resort to the unusual step of getting behind Manchester United on Sunday, according to Gary Neville.
The pundit believes that Reds fans will be willing Jose Mourinho’s side to cause an upset in their derby clash against Manchester City, with the Etihad outfit threatening to dominate the Premier League for the second year in succession.
After Pep Guardiola’s side romped to a record-breaking title success last year, they are two points clear of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, who have played a game more, after 11 rounds of this campaign.
As such, the Anfield side will want to see the Red Devils – currently eight on 20 points – put a stop to City’s unbeaten run.
“Liverpool fans will absolutely be supporting United on Sunday, no doubt,” Neville told Sky Sports. “Not supporting, but desperate for them to take points off Man City. So will Chelsea.
“There is a danger here to what City are doing that they could run away with this again. There is a danger. I did not think it three or four weeks ago, but in the last few weeks there have just been signs that they could pull away.
“They do not look like they are blinking, or wilting in any way, shape or form. I thought that the Wolves game was a game that could give others encouragement. It has not proved to be the case. They have destroyed everything in front of them and they are playing at such a high level.
“So I think at this moment in time, other teams will be looking at Man Utd to pull points off Man City. The league will be.”
And Neville does not see where other teams can readily expose Guardiola’s outfit.
“I do not think there is a soft point to this Man City team because you could look at the centre-backs and say: ‘If they are exposed, you could get at them.’ But they are very rarely exposed, you do not get chances against them that much,” he said.
“You could look at David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in central midfield and lazily say – 12 months ago I’m sure managers were saying: ‘Let’s run off them because they are not the best defenders.’
“But they have proven in transition and in defending these last 12 months that they react better than most. You talk about a defensive midfield player and his role, like Fernandinho, and it is obvious – every time Man City give the ball away, he makes tackles and breaks up play.
“But David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, the way in which when Man City lose the ball they react and their reaction to winning the ball back is fantastic.
“So actually now you are sat here thinking ‘there is not actually that big a weakness there’, because they have removed it and proven over 50-60 games now these players that they can cope with these teams that play direct, the teams that play quickly, the teams that press from the front, the teams who drop off and play with a deep defence.
“They have proven against all opposition – when you win the league, you play against all different types of opposition, they have removed all doubts. What they have to do is retain their consistency and standards. And that is what they have done at the start of this season.”
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