Chris Sutton has delivered his verdict on Liverpool’s top of the table clash with Manchester City on Sunday, claiming that it is a chance to lay down “one hell of a marker”.
The Reds host the defending champions next weekend knowing that a win would see them go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
And while Sutton doesn’t believe that it will be a decisive match, he has acknowledged how significant it could be psychologically.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “If you’re Liverpool, you’re thinking ‘what an opportunity this is’.
“When you look at Manchester City and the issues they have defensively, Liverpool at Anfield, it’s a big opportunity and I think it’s a different Liverpool this season.
“They have shown that they mean business. To go nine points clear – it’s not a title decider, of course it’s not – but that would lay down one hell of a marker.”
OPINION
You don’t win anything in November. Many Liverpool fans will no doubt be gutted about that, but nonetheless, it’s true. What you can do in November, however, is build up enough of a lead to ensure that your opponents are all but buried by the time people start putting their Christmas decorations up. Sunday’s clash is the dictionary definition of a six-pointer. Lose and there’s just a one game insurance policy separating Liverpool from their rivals. Win it, and you have an awful lot of breathing space going into the festive period. If last season taught the Reds anything, it’s that they need have as much of a gap as possible between themselves and City, and you could argue that they won’t get a better chance than this to open up a lead that, while still surmountable, will look seriously daunting for Pep and his boys.
