Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City’s draw against Chelsea will give title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal ‘confidence’ they can take Pep Guardiola’s side to the wire.
Rodri’s second-half goal ensured that Man City earned a 1-1 draw against Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues, after ex-Man City player Raheem Sterling had put the visitors in front.
However, many will view the result as two points dropped by Guardiola’s team, as they seek to beat Liverpool and Arsenal to the Premier League title, with Manchester City now four points behind the Reds with a game in hand, and two points behind the Gunners.
Speaking on Sky Sports following the game, Carragher said: ‘There’s a long way to go but there will be a huge feeling at Liverpool and Arsenal right now.
‘It will give them confidence that City can drop points and that will give both of those teams a chance not just to win the title but to take it to the wire.’
Later on, he added: ‘I think it’s more for Liverpool and Arsenal, the belief. There’s still so long to go as well. Who knows when the run-in starts. March and April is when it really hurts you a lot more when you really drop points.
‘Both teams will fancy their chances against City. I don’t think there’s a secret of how to play against City. Lots of teams will try and force them wide. Chelsea probably had a bit of luck towards the end.’
On the day, fellow Sky pundit Micah Richards was impressed by Man City’s opponents.
He said: ‘I thought Chelsea were outstanding. They stuck to the task. Haaland missed chances he normally puts away.
‘Liverpool and Arsenal, this will just give them that lift. I don’t think it will knock City’s confidence too much.’
Later on, he called Manchester City favourites for the Premier League title, adding: ‘This is the business end of the season, Man City always know what to do. They’ve got experience of doing it.’
Daniel Sturridge concurred with his fellow pundits, noting: ‘It’s clearly open. City will be disappointed for sure. I think they would have thought they could have got a result today.’
The draw was also a setback for Man City, as Liverpool beat Brentford 4-1 before Arsenal knocked five past Burnley at Turf Moor, which aided both sides in their pursuit for top spot.
Manchester City have a quick turnaround, with a home match against Brentford on Tuesday which was rescheduled from the initial date which clashed with the Club World Cup.
They then travel to Bournemouth next weekend and visit Luton Town in the FA Cup ahead of the Manchester derby on March 3.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
