"Two best teams at the moment" - Ray Parlour explains why Champions League final could be Manchester City vs Liverpool
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour believes the 2022 UEFA Champions League final could be contested by Manchester City and Liverpool.
Parlour has praised the attacking prowess on both English sides which could matter during the course of the tournament. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said:
"They won't want an all England final, but they are the two best teams at the moment in the world aren't they. Man City is scoring goals for fun and you can argue without any striker and Liverpool, look at the players they have going forward."
The 48-year-old added:
"They're always going to score goals and Salah probably [is one of the best] if not, the best player in the world at the moment, so I can see a Liverpool and Man City final and what a final that would be by the way."
Both sides had great outings in their respective first legs in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. Manchester City secured an emphatic 5-0 away win against Portuguese side Sporting CP with Bernardo Silva scoring a brace. Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden were the other goalscorers for Pep Guardiola's side on the night.
The result saw Man City put one foot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Liverpool, on the other hand, secured a hard-fought 2-0 away win against Inter Milan. Goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in the second half were enough for the Reds to take a two-goal advantage over their Italian opponents.
it is worth mentioning that the Champions League final last season was also an all-English affair with Chelsea facing Manchester City. Thomas Tuchel's Blues were victorious on that occasion following a first-half goal from Kai Havertz. It happened to be the Cityzens' first Champions League final in their history as well.
Manchester City are leading Liverpool in the Premier League title race
Manchester City are currently nine points clear of second-placed Liverpool in their quest for the Premier League title. The defending champions have amassed 63 points from 25 matches so far this season.
The Reds, meanwhile, are second in the standings with 54 points. However, they do have a game in hand over their title rivals and have the opportunity to cut down the gap to six points.
It is worth mentioning that both sides have to play one another once more in the Premier League. The fixture is scheduled to take place on April 9 at the Etihad Stadium.