Stevan Jovetic Taunts Liverpool, Says Manchester City Hold Title-Race Advantage
Stevan Jovetic is confident Manchester City will overcome Liverpool in the race for Premier League glory, telling Brendan Rodgers' side "we are going to win."
The Montenegrin international spoke ahead of his side's crucial trip to Anfield, as reported by Sky Sports:
"This squad has a lot of experience because we won the Premier League two years ago. We know how to play and keep the pressure down and I think Liverpool have more pressure - I think we are going to win.
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Victory for either side in Sunday's match will be a massive stride toward glory. Liverpool are four points clear of City, but Jovetic and Co. have two games in hand. Rodgers' side would go a minimum of one point clear after City's catch-up if they manage to win in front of a sure-to-be excited Anfield crowd.
Jovetic's debut season in England has been severely hampered through injury. The 24-year-old has started just two Premier League games and made seven substitute appearances, scoring two in the process, per WhoScored.com.
He scored the final goal of City's recent 4-1 win over Southampton after replacing Edin Dzeko, who is likely to start in the upcoming Merseyside clash. Jovetic will be further pushed down the pecking order when Sergio Aguero returns from injury, but he must remain sharp when called upon.
City's quartet of first-team strikers have 37 Premier League goals between them this season. Although Liverpool's partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have a whopping joint-total of 49, Manuel Pellegrini will be confident his firepower can thrust City to their second league title in three years.
A repeat of the Sky Blues' 2-1 win over Liverpool in December would set the Chilean's team up rather nicely. City and their upcoming opponents have easily played some of the most attack-minded, entertaining football this campaign and deserve to be battling for supremacy.
Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian extends this statement when analysing Liverpool's win over West Ham:
"Brendan Rodgers' philosophy is always to play the right way, with style and panache, and his thrilling Liverpool side have been so wonderful to watch that it is difficult to argue with the assertion that it would be a victory for football if they end their 24-year wait for the title this season.
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With Liverpool's confidence brimming, Jovetic knows the importance of the next game, per Sky Sports:
"The next game against Liverpool will decide a lot of things, but even if we win that game there are more hard games to come," he said.
OptaJoe highlights Liverpool's current run of victories and how difficult it will be to stop Rodgers' men extending their form in front of a packed home crowd:
Liverpool's dominance has continued to surprise and impress throughout the season. The City match is the most important Anfield match in recent history and could be the catalyst for the team's first championship since 1990.
Jovetic was less than one-year-old the last time Liverpool captured a domestic title. He could be the man to make a difference on Sunday and is a symbol of City's remarkable strength-in-depth.
While Rodgers' team boast the most lethal strike partnership in the division, Pellegrini's greater options could pay dividends when crunch time sets in.
