RAHEEM STERLING HAS warned Liverpool to be ready for a “massive reaction” from Manchester City next season.
An enormous 25 points behind the Reds in the Premier League standings, albeit with two games in hand, it seems inevitable that the two-time defending champions will be deposed by Jurgen Klopp’s troops in the weeks ahead.
Sterling, though, believes that it will only prompt better from Pep Guardiola’s side next season.
“Liverpool have been far better than everyone in the league and have been consistent, that is why they are top of the league,” he told Sky Sports.
“We have been slacking, we haven’t kept our standards that we know we can keep to. From now to the end of the season we have to try and win every single game and whatever happens, happens. It’s in Liverpool’s hands and that’s it.
“We won the league twice in a row. Liverpool are winning, leading at this point in time. But I’m pretty sure that come the end of the season our boys will go away and come back again very hurt if they do pick up the league, and we will be up and running for next season for sure. It will be a massive reaction.”
Sterling says that several minor things have gone against City and have added up to make a big difference in their season.
“A really important moment in our season was when Gabriel Jesus scored the winner against Tottenham and it got disallowed by VAR. Little things like that take their toll,” he noted.
“We scored a lot of late goals in our first title-winning season, it started in the third game against Bournemouth where I scored the winner, and it built momentum through the season and kept happening.
“We had the belief that we could win games because we had done it so many times, we didn’t rush things because we knew we could win, and we knew we could get a chance. We haven’t been at our best this season for sure, but there have been little things that haven’t quite been the slice of luck.”
City face Manchester United this afternoon at Old Trafford. Should they fail to win, the Reds will move to within six points of the crown.
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