Manchester City favourite Shaun Wright-Phillips has backed his old club to pip Liverpool to the Premier League title ahead of their seismic showdown on Sunday.
He has conceded, however, that Jurgen Klopp's Reds could still win the title - even if they lose at the Etihad on Sunday. Liverpool have surged back into contention to claim another domestic title by eating up a 14-point deficit since the turn of the year, leaving them just a single point behind the reigning champions ahead of this weekend's crunch slash.
Klopp's side are bidding to make amends after an unprecedented injury crisis last year saw them relinquish their Premier League crown with a whimper. Manchester City had looked omnipotent earlier in the year, but the pendulum of momentum has shifted towards the Reds; who even briefly overhauled Pep Guardiola's charges at the top of the table last weekend after playing before City.
And while he insisted Sunday's encounter is too close to call, Wright-Phillips - who is a fan favourite at the Etihad after racking up over 250 appearances across two different spells with the club - is adamant that regardless of who comes out on top, there are still plenty more twists and turns to come in a title race that had seemed to be a foregone conclusion just a couple of months ago.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football , via William Hill, he said: "I’m still backing City [for the title]. The game will have a massive effect on how things turn out at the end of the season, but I don’t think it’ll be over after that one game either.
"I think both teams have games in the business end of the season where they could drop points if they’re not at their best or they fail to take their chances. For me, it’s about whether or not the other team capitalise on that or not."
Join the debate! Who do you think will come out on top in the race for the Premier League title - Liverpool or Man City? Let us know here.
A big part of Liverpool's resurgence - and sustained success under Klopp in recent years - has been their attacking proficiency. The Reds supplemented their imperious attacking arsenal with the capture of Luis Diaz in January, and the Colombian has adapted to life in the top-flight seamlessly. Along with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota, Liverpool now boast a wealth of options that would cause any team in Europe untold issues.
While Manchester City also boast a squad full to the brim of superstars, they've spent the majority of the season playing without an orthodox striker; instead deploying a number of their stars in a false nine role. But while Jota has stolen the headlines for Liverpool in his role as a traditional frontman, Wright-Phillips has insisted that City's lack of a 'fox in the box' won't necessarily come back to haunt them in Sunday's title showdown or beyond.
And he's hailed Guardiola for guiding City to the cusp of what would be a fourth title in five years without the elite No 9 he craved last summer. He added: "They did it [won the league] last season. If you look at the percentage of games that [Sergio] Aguero played, it would be on the low, low scale of things; so [Guardiola] has already proven that he can do it.
"For me, he’s shown again what he can do this season without a number nine. There’s been some games where things have been so congested that there’s nobody running in behind or occupying the centre-backs. But in general, I think he’s proven on a number of occasions now that he can get the job done with or without a striker."
Shaun Wright-Phillips is backing England with William Hill to win the World Cup #ItsWhoYouPlayWith #18+ #BeGambleAware
