John Aldridge has claimed Manchester City have one big advantage in this season's title race, after suggesting the weight of expectations on Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his players is not shared by Pep Guardiola reigning Premier League champions.

The title race will have another chapter written in the coming days as a full round of Premier League fixtures are played on Tuesday and Wednesday, with former Liverpool striker Aldridge claiming 'small club' City will benefit from diluted hype around their challenge.

"The reality is and will always be that expectations at Liverpool will always be very different when compared to Manchester City," stated Aldridge.

"This has to be an advantage for City and it's an issue that will always be there when one of the biggest names in the game goes up against a small team that has basically got lucky by finding a sugar daddy investor.

"Even though I appreciate City fans will be offended when we say they are still a small club, that is how everyone outside of their bubble still views them, despite their success in winning a few trophies in recent years.

"They will always be a small club compared to their neighbours Manchester United and compared to Liverpool, with the latter two having decades of success that have allowed them to become sporting giants on the world stage.

"Liverpool Football Club is one of the biggest names in our sport with a fan base that stretches to all corners of the world and while that is a tribute to a glorious history, it is also an obstacle to ambitions.

"At City, they hope to win the league and are setting their own standards high in a bid to achieve their goals. Liverpool are dealing with so much more and while you can try and ignore what is happening around you, it eventually gets to everyone.

"Kids in China are watching Liverpool matches at all hours biting finger nails. Bars in America are packed with fans in red shirts watching matches early in the morning and amid all of this hype, City are quietly going about their work without anyone taking too much notice of them."

Aldridge went on to suggest Liverpool dare not slip up as they protect a four point lead at the top of the table, as he believes City will not drop too many points between now and their final game in May.

"There is no room for mistakes as Manchester City are likely to win virtually every game, so Liverpool have to win at least 13 matches of the 15 they have left to give themselves a good chance of winning the league.

"Every Liverpool player over the last three decades has been asked whether they can win a league title and all of them have come up short, with the desperation to see that Premier League trophy presented to a red-shirted captain at Anfield never more acute.

"They will head into next Wednesday’s game against Leicester knowing nothing less than three points will do if they want to compete with City and that pressure will mount as the finishing line gets closer.

"Liverpool need to beat more than Manchester City if they are to win this season’s Premier League title, with the scars of the past 29 years leaving a mark on the club that will only be erased when wait for the trophy this club demands comes to an end."

Online Editors