Stan Collymore believes that Liverpool could still upstage Manchester City this season if they manage to win the Champions League, even if they come up short in the title race.
The Reds need City to drop points against Brighton on Sunday afternoon if they are to stand any chance of lifting the Premier League trophy, but could still be on for silverware if they beat Tottenham in the Champions League final on June 1st.
And Collymore believes that European glory would be enough to take the shine of off City’s domestic win.
Writing in his column for the Mirror, he said: “I fancy Liverpool will keep the pressure on City all the way to the wire by beating Wolves, maybe 2-0, but I also expect City to beat Brighton, perhaps 4-0.
“They have gone at it hammer and tongs all season, especially these past few weeks, leapfrogging each other and playing sublime, attractive, attacking football, which is a credit to both teams.
“There will be an irony if City take the title and Liverpool win the Champions League, because they will have each ended up with the trophy the other really wants. But I’m not buying this theory that a Liverpool triumph in the Champions League would be tempered if they miss out on the title.
“There’s a mystique about being a Champions League winner that appeals to players and the clubs themselves. It’s the competition Guardiola has been brought to England to win for City, after all.”
OPINION
Collymore raises a very valid point here. In an ideal world, you would wager that the two clubs would swap the trophies they are likely to win in a heartbeat. It’s been 29 years since Liverpool won the league, and while the Champions League is the biggest prize of them all, you can bet that they would much rather be kings of England once more. As for City, they brought in Pep Guardiola with the express purpose of winning the Champions League. It is the one trophy that alludes them, and certainly the one they want most. It would mean a whole lot more than another league title, and would finally affirm to supporters and pundits that they are truly a big club capable of building a legacy comparable with other greats of the modern game. Football is a funny sport though, and circumstances dictate that both will have to make do with what they are given. Add into the mix Tottenham’s desire to win a trophy too, however, and the Reds could still end up with nothing. When you look at it that way, the Champions League doesn’t seem too bad at all.
