James Milner Says Liverpool Should 'Enjoy' Title Race Despite Pressure

Liverpool midfielder James Milner has urged his team-mates to enjoy the Premier League run-in despite the pressure they're under to deliver the club's first title since 1990. 

The Reds were held to their second consecutive 1-1 draw on Monday at West Ham United, but Milner pragmatically reflected on the result.

He told the Reds' official website:

"It is like that in football. You have ups and downs in your career and you have ups and down within a season.

"It is about not getting too down and there is such a long way to go, it wouldn’t surprise me if the lead changes hands all the way to the end, but we have to be confident we can get the job done. It is in our hands and there is a long, long way to go.

"I think we should enjoy being in this position, these are the positions you want to play in. It is a lot worse at the bottom end of the league when you are fighting against relegation or playing for nothing in mid-table, so let's enjoy it and push forward together—ourselves, the fans and the whole club—and embrace it."

Sadio Mane gave Liverpool the lead at the London Stadium when he turned and fired home Milner's cross from the byline, though it should have been ruled out because the England international was offside.

It was cancelled out just six minutes later when Michail Antonio capitalised on a defensive lapse from the Reds at a set piece.

Football writer Leanne Prescott felt it was a nervy performance from the Reds:

On January 3, Liverpool met closest rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, and a victory would have sent them 10 points clear of the Sky Blues at the top of the table.

Instead, City won 2-1 to reduce the gap to four. After the Reds failing to capitalise on the Sky Blues' defeat at Newcastle last week with their consecutive draws, they're now just three points ahead of City, who beat Arsenal 3-1 on Sunday.

However, as football writer Chris Williams observed, a slightly longer-term view of their battle puts it in a more positive context from Liverpool's perspective:

Keeping a cool head will be vital to the Reds' efforts in the remainder of the season, so Milner's team-mates would do well to adopt his attitude.

The Reds play Bournemouth at Anfield in their next match before travelling to Manchester United. The Red Devils will look to capitalise on any nerves shown by Liverpool, so remaining calm is a must.