The Blues have a game in hand and boast a superior goal difference to league leaders Liverpool, but need the Merseyside outfit to drop points to stand a chance of finishing first
Pablo Zabaleta insists the Manchester City squad still believe they can win the title but acknowledges Liverpool must drop points to give them a chance.
A 3-2 loss to Brendan Rodgers’s league leaders earlier in April saw City’s title hopes depend on others slipping up, and the full-back praised Liverpool for their record-breaking form as the season nears an end.
City currently sit six points off the pace, but have a game in hand and a superior goal difference to Liverpool, and Zabaleta has urged focus from the squad heading into their final four matches.
“We have belief. This is the main reason we won on Monday [against West Brom], to show again this team wants to win the league,” he told reporters.
“In football you never know what can happen. Liverpool are doing great, winning 11 games in a row in the league, the first time in one season in Premier League history, I believe.
“They have three games until the end, and we have four. If they drop any points, we have a chance if we win our games.
“If they win all of their games, we must just give them credit, and there will be nothing we can do. We need to keep focused on what we are doing and move on to the next game.”
Next up for City is Crystal Palace, who have won five on the trot to confirm their Premier League status for next season, while second-placed Chelsea travel to Anfield aiming to give their own chances a boost.
“We will see what happens with Chelsea and Liverpool, hopefully they can drop some points which would be great for us and give us a chance to close the gap with a win at Palace,” said Zabaleta.
“We know we are playing for something big. We want to win this league … that is the spirit we need from everyone, as we know these last few games will decide the league.
“We will see, as we know how difficult it is to play Crystal Palace away. They are in a great moment and Tony Pulis is doing a great job so it will be a very tough game.”