The Athletic FC.

Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Iyo Akimilari.

After trailing at Anfield, Manchester City flipped the script and beat Liverpool.

So after the dramatic ending, is the title race back on?

Well, joining us today for this one, we've got Simon Hughes.

We've also got Sam Lee as well.

So, this was the first time Manchester City have done a league double over Liverpool since 1937.

First time Pep Guardiola has won at Anfield with fans in attendance.

I think it's important to mention that

caveat there. But Sam, from Manchester City, look, at one stage, they looked to be nine points

behind Arsenal. How important was that result for City? Yeah, very important. Probably more so

for them than the title race. Even if they'd have got point, you'd have gone, oh, that's all right.

There would have been eight points behind Arsenal, but they go, okay, well, they never went at Anfield. They've been batted for the second half. They've gone to go down. For them to get a point seemed like a shock at that point. So that would have been like, okay, good character, something to build on. They're still building this new team.

They can't control games in the way that they used to.

They're still trying this new team. They can't control

games in the way that they used to. They're still trying to do that. But yeah, fair enough. And then

obviously to win it, the belief that it gives them, as they, like I say, they build this new team

and this new style and all those kind of things, that's massive. Still the way they play, you know, the way City would have approached that second half when Liverpool start coming at them, just to keep the ball for five minutes and kill it off. They can't do that. It's the same problem they had at Spurs last week. It's the same problem they've added in loads of games this season. And until they can sort that, they won't be properly, properly good. And they probably won't win the league. But that little boost in belief could go a long way. And you talk about the title race being back on. It was so constantly gaslit into thinking like five point leads with three months of the season to go is just terminal. It's just not. Like you sound crazy for saying, you know, there's 13 games left. Lots of things can happen. You sound crazy for just suggesting that it might not go as everyone's expected, but there are just loads of games to go. The gap's only six points. And yeah, Arsenal look stronger than City. They are stronger than City. And City don't look like they can keep up the momentum. But like, when City won the treble, they didn't start playing one until April

the first. And I'm not saying they're going to win the treble, but I'm saying there is a long way to go. And I'm not saying, oh, Arsenal, look over your shoulders, blah, blah, no, I'm not. There's just a long way to go. Look at Sam. He's got the boxing gloves on. He's ready for a fight. I've got the

boxing hoodie on, actually. Maybe it's manifesting, yeah. Well, unfortunately,

a team that haven't got the boxing gloves on after that result. On Liverpool, unfortunately. I mean, look, City have got their problems. Arsum have got their problems. Lots of teams have got their problems this season. But I just wonder if that game, yet again, just compounded where Liverpool's frailties are.

Brilliant individual performances here. We look at Sobertslie again, but as a team cohesively,

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