“We need to catch up” – Antoine Semenyo sends title race ultimatum to Manchester City teammates ahead of Liverpool trip | OneFootball

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo has admitted that his side beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday to stay in the title race.

The Blues have won just one of their last six Premier League games and after squandering a two goal lead against Tottenham last week, it is now or never for City to turn the ship around and put a winning run together if they are to hunt down league leaders Arsenal.

A brace from Omar Marmoush and another strike from Tijjani Reijnders against Newcastle United helped restore confidence in the camp in midweek as Pep Guardiola’s side set up a Carabao Cup final date with Arsenal courtesy of a 5-1 aggregate semi-final win over the Magpies.

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the tree to nine points after running out 3-0 winners against Sunderland on Saturday, with Manchester City in danger of falling out of the title race should they fail to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

After impressing against Newcastle United on Wednesday night, Manchester City’s January signing Antoine Semenyo is expected to retain his starting place.

“It’s a statement game. It’s probably one of our most important games of the season,” the 26-year-old said in an interview with Sky Sports ahead of the trip to Merseyside.

“So we want to go there, pose our threats and be victorious at the end of the day. As an outsider watching, it’s always been sick to watch, but being part of it, it’s a different level. Just that fire in your belly, these games bring it out.”

Semenyo has made a blistering start to life in Manchester since joining forces with Guardiola from Bournemouth for £64 million in January, scoring his fourth goal for City in last week’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham in north London.

“I always thought, I want to be part of Man City. But the hard work continues,” the Ghana international added. “If we want to be as successful as the previous Man City teams have been, we need to catch up with Arsenal now and hopefully win all the other trophies that we’re in.

“Obviously, there have been results that haven’t gone our way and there have been a couple of draws here and there. The manager said to us before the Newcastle game that we need to have that fire in our bellies again.

“That fire in our bellies is what’s going to kick-start a new run for us and hopefully us being victorious at the end of the season is the plan.”

City can kiss a fifth Premier League title in six seasons goodbye should they fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday, with Bernardo Silva a major doubt for the clash and the likes of Rayan Cherki and John Stones in contention to feature.