City disappear into the distance as chase for other Champions League spots hots up

THE BATTLE for top-four spots in the Premier League hots up this weekend as Liverpool take on Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool are third, with only two points separating them from Spurs in fifth ahead of their clash at Anfield on Sunday.

Spurs crushed Liverpool at Wembley earlier this season and go into the match full of confidence after beating secondplaced Manchester United on Wednesday.

Should they win at Anfield, Spurs would leapfrog Liverpool but manager Mauricio Pochettino knows nothing is for certain, despite their performance against United.

“It was an amazing start and then fantastic in how we managed the game,” he said. “Now we need to keep going, be consistent, and stay focused because we have a lot of important games ahead.”

The first of those is at Liverpool, who bounced back from their first league defeat since that Tottenham loss by winning at Huddersfield in midweek.

With Philippe Coutinho gone to Barcelona, more pressure will be placed on Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Firmino was again on target at Huddersfield and manager Juergen Klopp said the Brazilian was almost impossible to leave out.

“We have a lot of quality in the team but still... not really consistent all the time in our offensive (work). But Roberto delivers, delivers and delivers. He doesn’t score all the time, he is not always brilliant, but if he is not brilliant then he works like a horse. It’s very important that you have this kind of stability there.”

Leaders Manchester City, 15 points clear with 13 games to go, are away to Burnley, while United host Huddersfield.

United boss Jose Mourinho will have to pick up his side immediately and admits a title challenge is out of the question.

“Yes, the Premier League finishes for us at Old Trafford in the last match against Watford in May, but we knew that the distance to the leader was already considerable, even before this match,” he said after their loss at Tottenham.

“Now we have us, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal, we will be there fighting for the positions.”

Chelsea will have Olivier Giroud available at Watford on Monday after his move from Arsenal on transfer deadline day.

Antonio Conte knows his team cannot afford more defeats like their one at home to Bournemouth in midweek if they are to stay in the top four.

“It won’t be easy for this season,” he said. “We have to fight. I’m ready and I think the players are starting to understand that this season we have to struggle for a place in the Champions League.”

Arsenal will almost certainly give new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a debut against Everton after the striker’s club record move from Borussia Dortmund. — dpa