Zabaleta: Anfield too tense

PABLO ZABALETA says experience will prove pivotal in the title race — and thinks Liverpool’s desperation to end a 29-year wait could be their downfall. The ex-Manchester City defender claimed the pressure around Anfield is likely to create an anxious atmosphere. ‘You can see some of the Liverpool fans, they’ve been waiting for that Premier League medal,’ Zabaleta said. ‘When the team is not playing well it seems the fans are a little bit tense. That can sometimes be difficult for the players to concentrate and play well.’ Zabaleta, now at West Ham, twice won the title at the Etihad Stadium. ‘It’s important to have won it previously,’ he added. ‘Both times we won the league we were behind the leaders at this point. ‘Some players in the dressing room have experience of that. That’s going to be key.’