Raz says Anfield crowd pile pressure on title win

RAHEEM Sterling says he felt the title pressure much more when he was at Liverpool than he does at City.

The Blues winger was part of Brendan Rodgers’ 2013-14 squad which imploded in the run-in to allow Manuel Pellegrini’s Blues to steal in and take the crown.

He moved to City in a £45m deal the following year, and won the league last season, scoring 23 goals in the process.

And Sterling claimed that the Anfield crowd piles extra pressure on Liverpool players.

“When I was there I did feel a lot more pressure than when I’m here, with matchdays and the fans,” he said.

“I think that they get to us a little bit. We were in control and we had the opportunity to see it through but we didn’t do that. Here we’re completely focused on each game and trying to win each game as it comes.

“It’s a complete different scenario from last year – last year we were a bit more comfortable towards this point of the season.”

City are a point behind Liverpool with ten games left to play, closer than five years ago, when the Merseysiders opened up a five-point lead with three games left but then lost to Chelsea and blew a three-goal lead at Crystal Palace to hand the initiative back to City.

Sterling said the City squad believes it can chase them down again, saying: “They’ve been playing some good football at times but we’re confident in ourselves and we’ve got the belief.

“It’s really close at the moment but I have full belief in the squad. We’re confident in ourselves.”