Rio Ferdinand has given his verdict on the Premier League title race and whether Liverpool have the 'confidence' to stay ahead of Manchester City.
Liverpool moved two points clear of City with their win over Manchester United on Tuesday night, with the pair’s recent league meeting ending in a tense draw at the Etihad. However, the Reds then overcame the same opponents in their FA Cup semi-final clash, storming to a 3-0 lead at half-time against Pep Guardiola’s side.
After Liverpool looked dominant at Wembley, Ferdinand was asked if the victory would have implications on the title race. Sharing his thoughts prior to Liverpool’s commanding win over Manchester United, the ex- defender predicted which team he believes will lift the Premier League tittle next month.
READ MORE: Liverpool and Manchester United fans unite to show support for Cristiano Ronaldo
“Liverpool rested seven or so players in midweek in the quarter-final of the Champions League against Benfica and still didn’t get beat. They bring them back in and they deal with Man City,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe With FIVE YouTube channel.
“City still had a lot to do in that Atletico Madrid game, so they couldn’t rest players. Liverpool, in contrast, rested seven or eight players, and brought all of those stars back into the game at the weekend, and Pep had to change seven players to freshen it up.
“It made his team weaker, whereas Liverpool made their team stronger. I think if that game had finished at half-time, I would have said the pendulum would have swung in Liverpool’s favour.
“Man City didn’t get going in the first half, it was a beating in the first half, and you thought 'wow, they could be the favourites for the league now'. But the fact that City changed it in the second half and got two goals back, I think the confidence will still be there.
“It won’t be shot enough to really put them off-beat. I’m still convinced City are the team to win the league, but I think it’s going to go to the wire.”
