Every News: City target historic quadruple, Liverpool look to extend lead

City target historic quadruple, Liverpool look to extend lead
https://ift.tt/2tquErD
LONDON: After securing the first of a potential four-trophy haul by beating Chelsea on penalties in the League Cup on Sunday, Manchester City face West Ham in the Premier League clash late on Wednesday (today) just a point adrift of leaders Liverpool.Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned his players not to use injuries and fatigue as an excuse as the English champions chase a historic quadruple of trophies this season.City also face Swansea in the FA Cup quarter-finals and are well set for the last eight of the Champions League after winning 3-2 away to Schalke, who are hunting for a new sports director after Christian Heidel’s resignation, in the first leg of their last 16 tie.However, injuries to Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho blighted victory on Sunday with John Stones and Gabriel Jesus also unlikely to return before an international break in mid-March.“I don’t want to see excuses from my players about tiredness, fixtures, schedules, the number of games. That is nothing,” said Guardiola on Tuesday.“When you have the opportunity to fight until the end, to fight for the title, then the power, the energy that gives you that is higher than any excuses you find.“We have to run and beat them (the opposition), then beat them again. In the last two months of the season, the mentality makes the difference.“I don’t care about the way we play. I want the smell in the locker room, I want to smell at the beginning of the game and during the game, that we can win.”Fernandinho’s absence was strongly felt when City lost to Crystal Palace and Leicester in December to cede Liverpool an advantage in the title race, while Laporte has made such a big impression in just over a year in England that the Frenchman was rewarded with a new contract last week.“People say: Without this player, they are not the same. It doesn’t matter,” added Guardiola.“We have a good squad, a good second team, and I want to see the desire that we want to win the title.”A run of three draws in four Premier League games for Liverpool has allowed the champions back into the race, the latest of which came in a 0-0 draw away to Manchester United in the hours before the League Cup final.And Guardiola wants his side to continue applying pressure with Liverpool desperate to end a 29-year wait to win the title.Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has told his side to focus on the positives of leading the league rather than a recent dip in form.Having waited 29 years to win the league, Klopp is focused on looking forward rather than back at opportunities missed in recent weeks.“Usually in a situation where you can be champions for the first time in your life - for a lot of our supporters it would be the first time in their life, and for a lot of my players as well - it’s pure opportunity,” said the German ahead of Watford’s visit to Anfield on Wednesday.“You have to use it on the front foot, with all the things you have to always do in football.”Liverpool’s title chances also received a huge injury boost with the news Roberto Firmino should be fit for Sunday’s trip to Everton in the Merseyside derby, even if Wednesday’s match might come too soon for the Brazilian.Firmino suffered an ankle injury and had to be replaced during the first-half of Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Manchester United.“He looks good, we were obviously lucky. It is not as serious as we thought in the first moment - if Bobby goes down and leaves the pitch it is always a bad sign because he’s a pretty hard boy,” added Klopp.“We play tomorrow and it will be very close for that, but there’s a big chance for the derby.“Because it’s Bobby, I would say ‘yes’ (there is a chance for Watford), but I don’t know if I would use that chance because we played Sunday and then Wednesday immediately.“Writing Bobby off is a big mistake because he recovers pretty quick.”