Liverpool boss pumped up over clash with City

"Pressure? What pressure?"

That was the mantra Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers employed to shrug off the strain of nailing down the club's first league title in 24 years ahead of Sunday's crucial clash with Manchester City.

Liverpool faces a decisive test of its credentials when it welcomes City to Anfield in a match that could decide the destination of the Premier League trophy, but Rodgers said on Friday he is not losing any sleep.

His league leader can increase its advantage over its rival in third to seven points, albeit with City having two games in hand, and that is enough to leave him feeling excited, rather than under pressure.

"People talk about pressure but for us it is excitement," said Rodgers, who was named Premier League Manager of the Month for March on Friday.

"I am sleeping well. This is what we work for as coaches and managers.

"It gives me great joy to see how the players have embraced the ideas.

"It is vitally important we stay calm against City. We showed that at West Ham last weekend.

"The beauty for us is this game is at Anfield. It is a special place. We will unleash our supporters."

Liverpool holds its Premier League destiny in its own hands and knows that five consecutive wins from its remaining matches will be enough to land a first top-flight crown since 1990.

Last Sunday's 2-1 win over West Ham was Liverpool's ninth on the spin and moved it to 74 points from 33 games.

That's two more than second-place Chelsea, which is also still to visit Anfield in the run-in, while matches against Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United make up its remaining fixtures.

To beat City it will have to overturn a poor recent run against the Manchester club, having lost twice and drawn three times in their past five league meetings.

City's only league defeat in its past 20 games came against Chelsea two months ago, but Sunday's host will be buoyed by its home record against the top clubs, having won all four matches against visiting teams in the top seven at Anfield.

Liverpool welcomes back centerback Daniel Agger into its squad after he sat out the win over West Ham through injury.

"Only (leftback) Jose Enrique is out. We have 20 players fit and raring to go," Rodgers said.

(China Daily 04/13/2014 page11)