Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has admitted there is a degree of “nervousness” around the club ahead of their crucial clashes with Liverpool - but has rejected the idea that Pep Guardiola’s side are in poor form.
Liverpool have moved to within one point of the league leaders in recent weeks, after City dropped five points in their last four games , while the Reds are on a nine-match winning streak in the Premier League. And the two sides are set to meet in quick succession next month.
With a potential title-deciding clash at the Etihad and an FA Cup semi-final still to come, questions have been raised after City saw their significant lead at the top dwindle to a single point. However, Onuoha believes Guardiola’s side have shown that they have the quality to challenge for multiple honours, after a relatively slow start to the season.
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"Then they went on the roll when they won 10+ games in a row again, and now we're at the end of the year and some people think they're struggling?” he told the Manchester Evening News . “City are top of the league, they're in the Champions League quarters, they're in the FA Cup semi-finals so let's be clear: they are in a very strong position and they have the experience to be able to see this type of thing through."
Onuoha continued: " I sense some nervousness around but I think that's a good thing because the fact is you've got big games coming up. You look at some sides around the league and they don't have big matches so they just count down to the end of the season, whereas for City and a couple of others you are thinking you hope it goes well because if it does then what a season it would be.
"Speaking from experience, you see those big matches and to know all eyes will be on them is the stuff you dream of as a kid. Even though the games are high pressure and you could argue season-defining, you would much rather be on the field because that is the place where you've got control of your destiny."
For Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s side will host Watford after the international break and travel to Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, before heading for the Etihad on April 10; whereas City travel to Burnley and will then host Atletico Madrid prior to the vital game in the Premier League. The two sides will then fight for a place in the FA Cup Final the following weekend, after concluding their Champions League ties in midweek.
