Trent Alexander-Arnold has given his thoughts on how likely Manchester City are to win the Premier League title now.
Even before Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Liverpool made a cardinal sin in the title race by losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace; giving City a points advantage.
It must already be a scary sight for Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta’s sides to have seen Pep Guardiola’s men sustain the pressure on them at the top over the last few weeks.
But now, the title is in City’s hands and in the past when that was the case during Guardiola’s era, it has ended well for them and with tears for their rivals for the coveted trophy.
With Manchester City having been knocked out of the Champions League as well, their full focus can be on retaining the Champions League.
Considering the FA Cup final between the treble-winners and either Coventry City or Manchester United will take place after the Premier League season come to an end, the players have no chance of getting distracted by other competitions.
Alexander-Arnold shares how likely Man City are to win the Premier League
Both Arsenal and Liverpool also just have the Premier League to focus on, having been eliminated from the Champions League and the Europa League mid-week.
Unfortunately for Manchester City, they could not replicate Real Madrid by becoming the second team in Champions League history to win the competition two seasons in a row.
However, all is not lost and City still have the chance to make history this season.
And that is by becoming the first team in English history to win four league titles in a row and with six games left, that goal seems likelier than ever.
Spurred by their exit from the Champions League, one would assume the club is more determined than ever to do so.
However, teams like Brighton, Tottenham and West Ham could be potential banana skins for this City side.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Trent Alexander-Arnold opened up about how difficult it is to compete with Manchester City in a title race.
“Yeah, I think Arsenal experienced it last year, we’ve experienced it two or three times in the past as well. When you get into a title race with City, it’s the turn of the year, they are borderline perfect and you can’t really slip up and make a mistake.”
The 25-year-old continued, “When you do lose those points and you give them the upper hand, it’s difficult because they don’t really blink in those moments, they don’t really slip, they don’t seem like they’re going to drop points, it’s a like a well-oiled machine, it’s what they do. They click and there’s no stopping them.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold went on to acknowledge that it was advantage Manchester City in the title fight.
“To give them the advantage with six games to go is almost handing the title, I think. All we can do is be in a position to capitalise and hope that somebody does us a favour and get our goal difference up really.”
“I think it’ll be difficult but I’ve seen over the last two, three weeks, odds and percentage chances of who’s going to win the league, who’s not has fluctuated just by one result so anything can happen in the Premier League.”
Interestingly, Trent Alexander-Arnold went on to add that it is difficult not to see Manchester City going all the way.
“Exactly. If you don’t play them, it’s not in your hands. All we can do is be in a position to hopefully, if they do slip and if they do drop any points, just to be in a position to capitalise and hopefully, that does come. Whether it does or doesn’t isn’t in our hands but they are a fantastic team, manager, the squad that they’ve got, it’s hard to think that they won’t it at this point, I think.”
“But stranger things have happened in the Premier League.”
Manchester City have a ridiculous fear factor
For Trent Alexander-Arnold to state that Manchester City are favourites is one thing.
However, for the Liverpool vice-captain to state “it’s hard to think that they won’t” win the league shows how much of a psychological edge City have on the rest.
Even world-class players like Alexander-Arnold.
The Englishman rightly claimed that teams can drop points and Liverpool simply must be in a position to capitalise.
However, for Trent Alexander-Arnold to still admit that Manchester City look likely to win the league just goes to show that he expects them to get over the line.
Such has been City’s consistency and ruthlessness during crunch time over the years and Alexander-Arnold can attest to that better than most as a Liverpool player that he could not help but say it as it is.