Focus on finishing fourth, title race is over – Liverpool told
Premier League
By
Mirror
| Feb 08, 2021
Graeme Souness claims Liverpool have no chance of defending the Premier League title after they were hammered 4-1 at home by Manchester City.
City's emphatic victory at Anfield extends their lead at the top of the table to five points, 10 clear of faltering champions Liverpool with a game in hand.
Pep Guardiola's men were at their ruthless best to punish two uncharacteristic mistakes by Alisson in the second half, after Mohamed Salah cancelled out Ilkay Gundogan's opener.
Gundogan added his second goal after Alisson's first distribution error and Raheem Sterling netted City's third following the other. Phil Foden's powerful strike extended their lead to three goals late on.
Souness believes City now have an unassailable lead at the Premier League's summit and lamented the costly blunders by the Liverpool No.1
Asked whether the title race is over, Souness told Sky Sports : "I think so. I don't see them coming back from that. City were the better team. Nothing in it in the first half. City were better second half.
"Alisson has made mistakes he doesn't normally make and it's such a boost to City who went into another gear.
"The final goal, from the young man, was on another level. Without Alisson's mistakes it's a close game. Does the scoreline flatter City? I think so a touch.
"It's very easy to go overboard now. Alisson, who we don't normally associate with making mistakes like that, has made the result a flattering one for City."
The Anfield hero insists his former club must now turn their attention to finishing in the top four in order to qualify for next season's Champions League group stage.
He added: "Their race is run. I think the big thing now for Liverpool is concentrating in getting into the top four. Because that's not a given."