‘The football we play, no one else plays in the world’
Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte believes his side have nothing to fear from Liverpool in the Premier League title run-in.
Pep Guardiola’s men went 14 points clear of Liverpool after defeating Chelsea 1-0 in January, however, the Reds now have the chance to go top of the table for a few hours at least if they beat Watford at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime.
City travel to relegation-threatened Burnley later in the day, where they can regain top spot with a win.
Liverpool and City set for season-defining week
The two sides are set to face-off at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday, which will be their first of two meetings in a week as they will also compete for a place in the FA Cup final on April 16.
While Liverpool have managed to close what appeared to be an unreachable gap between them and Guardiola’s side, City centre-back Laporte insists that the Reds have just as much to be fearful about as City do.
‘I think they’d like even part of our game’ – Laporte
“City can’t be afraid of anyone,” Laporte told The Guardian.
“[Liverpool] were a point behind in the same week, and in the end we won the league. We have this fight now and that’s good for the fans, and neutrals.”
Aymeric Laporte: “The football we play, no one else plays in the world. We’re an example of how to play nice football, to be superior in all areas. I think they [Liverpool] would like [to take] even part of our game…"
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) March 31, 2022
When question on whether City could take any inspiration from Liverpool, he added: “The football we play, no one else plays in the world.
“We’re an example of how to play nice football, to be superior in all areas. I think they’d like even part of our game.
“As for us having something of them: taking chances and benefiting from opponents’ errors a little more, because often we have the opportunity and don’t take it. We let the other team off. But there’s nothing to be envious about.”
City have squandered their lead at the top of the table in recent weeks following results such as a 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham and a goalless draw away at Crystal Palace.
Laporte believes recent criticism of Man City comes from ‘jealousy’
However, the 27-year-old Laporte insists that recent criticism aimed at the Sky Blues was at least partly rooted in jealousy.
He said: “Although we can make mistakes, I don’t think it’s as bad as people say, or as some seem to want to make others think because they don’t like City.
“We’re humans, people have to understand that: just as we beat United, we lost to Palace. You can’t explain that with money.
“However much a player costs, that doesn’t mean he’s going to be the best. It’s not an exact science.
“We’re leaders, a point ahead of Liverpool. We have the best defence – and [yet] people throw defensive issues at us.”
Laporte was an unused substitute in Spain’s 2-1 triumph over Albania on Saturday, but the City man played the full 90 minutes as Luis Enrique’s side thrashed Iceland 5-0 on Tuesday night in their second friendly of the international break.
Related links:
- Aymeric Laporte changes Twitter name after fan confusion
- Liverpool vs Man City: Train farce a reminder that Wembley semis simply don’t make sense
- Labour calls for Liverpool vs Man City FA Cup semi-final to be moved from Wembley
