‘Pretty much over’ – Alan Shearer makes blunt Man City title claim

Alan Shearer believes Manchester City are defending too well to be caught by Liverpool and Chelsea in the Premier League title race.

Phil Foden’s first-half goal was enough for City to secure a 1-0 win at Brentford and tighten their grip on top spot of the Premier League table.

City were boosted by Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat away at LeicesterCity the evening prior and would have been delighted to finish their contest and seen Chelsea had also slipped up at home to Brighton& Hove Albion.

City’s win over the Bees on Wednesday night means they will go into the new calendar year top of the pile, the third time they have done that after achieving the same feat in 2011-12 and 2017-18.

Despite this, Pep Guardiola has claimed that both Liverpool and Chelsea can still catch his City side, but Alan Shearer doesn’t see that happening if Manchester City are to win their next two games.

“They’re hardly conceding which is going to make it really difficult for Liverpool and Chelsea to get back into this race,” Shearer told Amazon Sport.

“Particularly with Man City’s next two games in the league, if they’re to win them it’s pretty much over isn’t it?”

Fellow pundit and former City ace Nigel de Jong added: “It’s still a race, there’s plenty of games still to be played Chelsea and Liverpool won’t make it easy.

“City getting the three points in order to cruise ahead even with Chelsea conceding late I think that’s the problem Chelsea had, they’ve been conceding too many goals and late goals dropping points which is making it easier for City.”

City travel to Arsenal on January 1, should they leave north London with a win they will be 11 points clear by the time the Reds travel to Thomas Tuchel’s side for a blockbuster showdown the following day.