Man City to refocus on Premier League race
Manchester City must quickly put the disappointment of Champions League failure behind them as their battle for Premier League supremacy with Liverpool resumes on the weekend.
City was minutes away from booking a place in the final before Real Madrid produced a stunning extra-time comeback to advance to the May 28 decider against Liverpool in Paris.
With only a point separating leader City from Liverpool in the league with four matches left, Pep Guardiola's side plays host to Newcastle United on Sunday, a team they beat 4-0 on the road in December but which has shown much improvement recently. Guardiola said his players felt the pressure in Madrid but must now regroup for the title run-in.
“Now we need to process that and come back, with our people at home and the last four games we have,” he said.
Liverpool is home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and has the opportunity to retake the lead as they continue their bid for a historic quadruple of trophies.
Juergen Klopp's team is unbeaten at home in the league this season, having won 14-of-17 games at Anfield, and will be full of confidence after winning at Villarreal in Tuesday's Champions League semifinal second leg.
Tottenham last won at Liverpool in 2011, but Spurs manager Antonio Conte said his side would go to Anfield looking to take something from the match.
“Maybe someone can think that we have to get points in other games, but I think we have to prepare for this game and to go there and try to get points,” he said. “For us, every game is vital.” Tottenham is fifth and chasing a berth in next season's Champions League but London rival Arsenal, which is two points ahead in fourth spot, has an opportunity to solidify its advantage by beating struggling Leeds United at home on Sunday.
Norwich City has been relegated and Watford has little chance of survival, leaving Burnley (34 points), Leeds (34) and Everton (32) fighting to avoid the third relegation slot.
Burnley plays host to Aston Villa on Saturday while Everton, which stunned Chelsea 1-0 last weekend, travels to Leicester City on Sunday.
Burnley has collected 10 points from four matches since the sacking of Sean Dyche, with interim manager Mike Jackson adopting a more aggressive approach.