Liverpool's last champions - where are they now?
Brendan Rodgers has warned his players not to believe Manchester City's midweek slip-up has opened the door for Liverpool's coronation as Premier League champions.
The Liverpool manager says Sunderland's performance at the Etihad in restricting their title rivals to a 2-2 draw underlined why it will be especially difficult to face teams fighting relegation.
Liverpool travel to Norwich on Sunday with the momentum behind their attempt to win a first title in 24 years intensifying following last weekend's win over City.
Rodgers, however, is in no mood to assume success so soon. "I said to the players this morning before training that if there is anyone looking at a rival dropping points, then also take it as a warning sign, it is never easy at this stage," Rodgers said.
"When you're so close to the finish line, you can maybe think that the job can be done and is done.
"Teams can think that they are playing teams towards the bottom and that the games might be easy but actually it's the contrast - they can be even more difficult.
"People are fighting for their livelihoods, fighting for their lives, fighting for their children, for the supporters. They're fighting to play in the best league in the world.
"Last night was a warning sign for everyone that, at this point of the season with four games to go, there is nothing guaranteed. I have said that all along. Crystal Palace had an excellent result at Everton, and Sunderland were within minutes of getting a great victory at Man City.
"Yes, one of the rivals might have dropped points but that is irrelevant. You have to do your own job.
"The warning signs are there. We certainly don't have our hands up in the air. The finishing line is a wee bit out so we just need to focus and keep producing the performances that we have. If we do that, we will hopefully take three points at the weekend."
Liverpool's game with Chelsea a week on Sunday has been described as the decisive fixture in the title run-in, but Rodgers says surprise results throughout this season undermine that theory. "We haven't even thought about Chelsea," he said. "We've been brilliant in the big games - Man United, Arsenal, Man City. It is about Norwich and that's it.
"We are into the final block of games. That was another one ticked off. We only focus on the next game. We have to stay calm and focus on what we want to achieve. Our determination is there, our fitness is there, you look at the intensity of the work of the team last week and it was phenomenal really, all the young players coping with the pressure and the older ones helping to get the team through.
"There won't be complacency, nerves. It is the same demand as for every game: to play well and win. We never look too far ahead. That's key. We have to do the job against Norwich.
"We'll deal with it the same as we have from the first game of the season. There's no added pressure than what we had then.
"We look to win the game at the weekend. We're still in check with reality in terms of where we're at."
With Liverpool now favourites to win the Premier League, the question is again being asked if they will buckle under the mounting pressure. They have showed little sign of doing so thus far, a winning streak of 10 consecutive games giving them a two-point lead over Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho's side could leapfrog Liverpool before they kick-off at Carrow Road, but Rodgers is adamant the question of whether his side have the stomach to win every remaining fixture has already been answered.
"There have been a lot of questions about the team and we have come out with all the solutions," he said. "For the first 45 minutes [against City] we were unplayable and that was against a top group of players who have scored a lot of goals and have some world-class players.
"We showed in the other parts in the game our focus and resilience. There was 20 minutes from City at the beginning of the second half where we had to stand up and be counted. When you have the biggest wage bill in sport, you have to perform at some stage in the game. Then we came back and showed what great teams do. They showed resilience and quality."
It is testimony to Rodgers' Anfield revival that the fact Liverpool are close to securing a Champions League place has barely been mentioned in recent months.
A win at Carrow Road would mean neither Arsenal nor Everton can catch Liverpool, ensuring them at least third place. That means they will have qualified for the elite competition without requiring a qualifying round for only the third time since the new format was introduced.
Although Rodgers has his sights on far more in weeks ahead, that in itself represents exceptional progress given Liverpool were last in the competition in 2009.
He said: "We've made great progress this season and our objective to qualify for the Champions League was always going to be very difficult because of the competitive nature of the league. But we're on course for that, and if we can get a win, that would rubber-stamp that for us."
Jordan Henderson will miss the Norwich game after being sent off in the win over City, while Daniel Sturridge is doubtful owing to a hamstring problem. "He may struggle," Rodgers said. "It's not too serious. It's not going to keep him out for too many weeks, but he may be a risk for the weekend. We'll assess it over the next couple of days."
Culled from The Telegraph.
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