Liverpool can almost taste first title since 1990
Updated: 2014-04-27 07:48
By Agence France-Presse in Liverpool(China Daily)
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Liverpool will attempt to surmount the last major obstacle barring its path to a first league title since 1990 when it welcomes third-place Chelsea to Anfield on Sunday.
Victory for Brendan Rodgers' side would eliminate Chelsea from the title race and leave Liverpool needing just four points from its final two games against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United to claim the crown.
Should Liverpool win and City lose its game at Palace later on Sunday, however, the Merseyside club could secure the Premier League trophy as early as next weekend.
With Liverpool on a run of 11 straight wins and the title now in sight, these are heady days at Anfield, and Rodgers has dismissed fears his players might suddenly succumb to the pressure of expectation.
"I think everyone is talking about pressure, but that is Manchester City or Chelsea, when you spend that sort of money and expect to win the league," said the Liverpool manager.
"I don't think there is pressure on ourselves, only from what we have within. Look at Tottenham - you spend over 100-odd million pounds ($169 million) you'd expect to be challenging for the league.
"We will do the best we possibly can. At this moment in time we have been absolutely outstanding."
Chelsea's shock 2-1 loss at home to Sunderland last weekend has left its title challenge hanging by a thread, prompting manager Jose Mourinho to shift his focus to the Champions League.
His side drew 0-0 at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of its semifinal earlier this week and Mourinho created a storm afterwards by claiming he would field a second-string team at Liverpool to preserve his players for next week's return leg.
Rodgers, however, played down the possible move, saying: "Whatever team they put out will have cost more than ours and will be more experienced."
Chelsea will definitely be without injured quartet Petr Cech, John Terry, Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o, while Ramires starts a four-game ban for lashing out at Sebastian Larsson in the loss to Sunderland.
Cup-tied in the Champions League, Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah are expected to feature, while Frank Lampard and John Mikel Obi, who will miss the second leg of the Atletico tie through suspension, are also in line to play.
(China Daily 04/27/2014 page11)