DELPH: WE KNOW HOW TO BOUNCE BACK

FABIAN Delph believes City can draw on the experience of winning the Premier League last season to claw back Liverpool’s lead.

The Blues slumped to a 3-2 home defeat by Crystal Palace to hand the Scousers a Christmas gift of a four-point lead at the top.

And now City need maximum points from festive trips to Leicester and Southampton in the next week, as Jurgen Klopp’s men host Newcastle and Arsenal.

If City can hang on to the leaders’ coat-tails, it will set things up nicely for Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad Stadium on January 3.

Delph, pictured, captained City on a day when the five nominated “captains” in the squad – Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho and Kevin de Bruyne – were all missing from the starting XI.

He felt the Blues were undone by two world-class goals, but warned that they have the title nous to turn round the gap at the top. “It will possibly help that we’ve been there - last season was an incredible season for us, and we’ve started this season incredibly well,” he said.

“It stands you in good stead for the future but we are only concentrating on ourselves.

“It’s a massive setback but at the end of the day it’s a very long season. We’re not focussed on Liverpool, or on any team other than ourselves.

“I felt we were in control for the whole game. They’ve scored two world-class goals, and you have to take your hat off to that.”

City Special – pages 46-48