RUTHLESS RAFA WILL NOT ROLL OVER FOR LIVERPOOL

THIS is the definitive weekend of the title race. I would expect both Manchester City and Liverpool to win their games on the final day, so whatever happens over this Bank Holiday will determine which team become champions.

Will Liverpool be able to lift themselves after defeat in Barcelona? If there is one manager who will be able to exploit any slips, it is Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez (right) and I can assure you now the feelings he will have for his old club will mean nothing at kick-off tonight. Rafa is cold and ruthless. If Burnley played Liverpool and I scored a goal to stop them becoming champions, I’m not sure how it would sit with me. Rafa, by contrast, will not have given a moment’s thought to the implications of a Newcastle win. He just wants three points.

If Liverpool can get through the test in the North East, the pressure goes back on to City. They were superb at Turf Moor last week and we could not have done any more to stop them but they beat us by the smallest margin of Sergio Aguero’s goal. Leicester, however, will be just as tricky. I expected them to be in the hunt for the final European place and they have lots of players I like, such as Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy. They have what it takes to hurt City.

But City are relentless. They are the best team of the Premier League era; better than Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ and Manchester United’s treble winners. The title is in their hands. If Liverpool do finish second, there is no disgrace in that.