Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 5y

Liverpool will win 'every single remaining game' in title chase - Kompany

MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester City will have to win every match until the end of the season if they are to retain their Premier League title, according to Vincent Kompany.

Title rivals Liverpool kept the pressure on the champions by beating Burnley on Sunday and maintaining the one-point gap at the top of the table.

And Kompany, who has won three titles during his time at the Etihad Stadium, said his team expect Liverpool to win their remaining eight games of the season, meaning City will also have to be perfect.

"We couldn't have asked for more at this stage of the season but we are all convinced that Liverpool will win every single remaining game until the end of the season," Kompany told reporters.

"We know how big the task ahead of us is with big games still coming up and difficult games against any team. We're all relaxed and calm, we're not getting carried away."

The champions made it nine successive wins -- and 17 in 18 matches in all competition -- with their controversial 3-1 victory over Watford on Saturday.

City boss Pep Guardiola says his players must forget what has happened before and only focus on the matches coming up, but unlike his captain, he expects to drop points before the season is finished.

"We started a competition with nine games -- it's not a competition with 38, it was a competition with nine games and we played the first one," he told a news conference. "We won it and now we don't have time to think too much.

"It's nice to be there of course. When people asked if Liverpool feel the pressure on top of the league, I said I preferred to be on top than behind. It's always better to be there because it's in your hands.

"But my feeling is the same as a few games ago: we are going to drop points. With this calendar and schedule we are going to drop points -- as few as possible. Keep the distance with Liverpool as much as possible and arrive in the last fixtures with the opportunity to win the title."

After a goalless first half, Raheem Sterling turned Saturday's match with a hat trick in the opening 14 minutes of the second half.

The England international has been tipped as a potential candidate for the Premier League's Player of the Year, but Guardiola believes he can do even more.

"Raheem can do better," Guardiola added. "He scored three goals, we're delighted, but he can do better.

"The first half was not the best performance from him, but it's good when not playing at the top level to be consistent and score the three goals. It is the most important thing and we need that."

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