Adrian Durham has claimed that Liverpool would have the right to complain if Cardiff roll over for Manchester City on Wednesday night.
After losing to Chelsea on Sunday, Neil Warnock threatened to play a weakened team against Man City, in a game in which if City win, they would leapfrog Liverpool to go top of the Premier League standings.
TalkSPORT host Durham has suggested that it would be against the spirit of the game if Cardiff were not to play at full strength against Man City, especially as the title race could come down to goal difference.
“I think that Liverpool would have a right to complain,” Durham said, as shown by talkSPORT’s official Twitter account on Wednesday night.
“This is a competitive Premier League fixture. I think Cardiff City do need the points, so they should be fighting for all the points they can get. They should not go into any game, given the position they’re in, they haven’t earned the right to play a weakened side, is what I’m saying.”
He added: “The title might be decided on goal difference.
“Liverpool might finish second with 90-plus points, which would be absolutely astonishing, and that’s the way it’s heading right now.
“It could come down to goal difference and if Manchester City are given a really easy game against Cardiff, and just for example say Liverpool aren’t given such an easy game against Cardiff, that to me is totally unfair.”
"Cardiff haven't earned the right to play a weakened side."
"I think Liverpool would have a right to complain."
"The title might be decided by goal difference."@talkSPORTDrive asks if #LFC should be annoyed if Cardiff play a weakened side vs #MCFC pic.twitter.com/PxbHzigUNA
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) April 3, 2019
OPINION
Durham is spot on here. Cardiff need to win as many points as possible between now and the end of the season as they are in serious danger of being relegated to the Championship. Man City are widely expected to beat the Welsh club, even if they do play a full strength side or the Under-23s side, as Warnock threatened. Goal difference could be key at both ends of the table and if Cardiff are thrashed on Wednesday night, that could have a major impact on their survival hopes, as well as handing Man City an advantage in the race for the Premier League title. At the end of the day, it’s just best if Warnock sets his team up to beat Man City. His words after the Chelsea game are unlikely to be followed up on and you can expect the Bluebirds to name a team similar to the one that lost at the weekend. Liverpool should definitely complain to the powers that be if that doesn’t happen.
