Steven Gerrard believes Brendan Rodgers is the driving force behind Liverpool’s bid to win a first league title since the 1989-90 season.
Whilst the target for the Reds was a place in the top-four this term, they have exceeded all expectations and, with just nine matches left to play, they are just four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand – and Jose Mourinho’s side are yet to visit Anfield. The biggest danger could come from Manchester City who are just two points behind Rodgers and co with two games in hand, yet they too have to travel to Merseyside.
It is all bubbling up to be the tightest title race in years, especially as Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur has put them right into the mix. Nobody had Liverpool down as contenders at the start of the campaign, but they showed their quality yet again on Sunday afternoon when they eased to a 3-0 win at Manchester United, a game in which Gerrard scored two penalties and also missed from the spot.
It was certainly a day to remember for the Anfield club, who have had to sit back and watch their North West rivals dominate over the past two decades. And Gerrard was quick to praise manager Rodgers, who he believes deserves the credit for the fact they are in with a genuine chance of ending a 24-year wait for title number 19.
“I think we’ve shown that we’re genuine contenders and we’re going to fight to the end for this,” the England ace told Sky Sports. “I think you’ve got to give credit to the manager. He keeps switching it, tinkering with the formation and the tactics. We played a diamond today and totally bossed it in the middle of the park. When you come away from home you’ve got to keep the ball and dominate the middle of the pitch and we know if we do that, we’ve got two of the best strikers in the world to do the damage.”
Next up for the Reds is a trip to Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon. Whilst on paper this would appear to be another three points for Rodgers’ side, it could be a lot trickier than many expect given that the Bluebirds are fighting for survival. A 2-1 defeat at Everton leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men second bottom of the Premier League table, three points adrift of safety and having played more than both Sunderland and Crystal Palace, who are the two teams directly above them in the current standings.
