Manchester City have been backed to go on and win the Premier League title should they beat Newcastle this weekend.
The club will want to respond to their dramatic Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid by earning three points at home to the Magpies on Sunday. A win could take them up to four points clear at the summit should Liverpool lose to Tottenham on Saturday.
City are going for their fourth title in five years, a run only disrupted by the Reds’ 2020 maiden triumph. Many are arguing that the loss in midweek will spur them on to make sure they don’t concede the league to Liverpool again.
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Former title-winning defender Micah Richards says the proof will be in the pudding on Sunday. He called on supporters at the Etihad to get behind their men, suggesting that a win over Newcastle will demonstrate their mettle and ultimately lead to them lifting the Premier League trophy.
"Until that ruthlessness returns in front of goal, something so clearly missing against Real, they run the risk of experiencing further nights like Wednesday,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column. “What will it mean for the Premier League?
“We will know on Sunday. The stadium will have to be alive because the players will need lifting.”
He added: “Producing a performance against Newcastle after defeat is significantly different to winning at Leeds following their first-leg exploits. I believe three points will see them go on to become champions and that, more than anything, would be an appropriate way to celebrate what we did in 2012. Four titles in five years would be an outstanding achievement."
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