"Quality of the Premier League is so high" - Kevin De Bruyne delivers verdict on Manchester City and Liverpool's title run-in
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne believes both his side and Liverpool face equally challenging run-ins to end the Premier League season.
The two teams are involved in a tight battle for the league title, with City currently holding a one-point lead with seven matches to go. They clashed horns over the weekend at the Etihad Stadium with the teams settling for a 2-2 draw.
Many pundits and fans believed the winner of the match may have become favorites to win the Premier League. However, De Bruyne feels that would not have been the case. He said (as quoted by the Independent):
“Whoever won this game, I never thought it would be who wins the game wins the title.”
Proud of my team! 💙 https://t.co/RINZ4wJQH2
The Belgian, who opened the scoring in the match against Liverpool, went on to add:
“I think the schedule is so hard for both of them and they (the games) come thick and fast. The quality of the Premier League is so high. It’s going to be a massive challenge.”
Overall, De Bruyne has managed 14 goals and eight assists in 36 matches across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side this season.
Both teams will now shift their focus to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Manchester City travel to Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 lead while Liverpool welcome SL Benfica to Anfield having won the away leg 3-1.
What does the fixture list look like for Manchester City and Liverpool going forward?
Following their respective European encounters, the Cityzens and the Reds will clash in the semifinals of the FA Cup on April 16. They return to Premier League action after that match.
Manchester City will take on Brighton and Hove Albion, who beat Arsenal in their last match, on April 20. Liverpool, meanwhile, will clash against Manchester United a day earlier.
🗣 "Maybe Manchester City is a little bit easier."
Sue Smith and Stephen Warnock both believe that Liverpool's remaining derby fixtures will be crucial in deciding the destination of the Premier League title 🏆👀 https://t.co/oGZxD9by7f
City will then face Watford (home), Leeds United (away), Newcastle United (h), West Ham United (a) and Aston Villa (h) to end the league season. They also have an away match against Wolverhampton Wanderers for which a date is yet to be fixed.
The Reds, on the other hand, will meet Everton (h), Newcastle (a), Tottenham Hotspur (h), Villa (a), Southampton (a) and Wolves (h) to close out the season.
Should both teams advance to the semifinals of the Champions League, they will have those matches to contend with in between as well.