Stalemate hands the advantage to Klopp

'LIVERPOOL MANAGER ASKED FOR BOTH TEAMS TO LOSE - HE GOT THE NEXT BEST THING'

- TYRONE MARSHALL

SO ON IT GOES. A three-way title race that looks likely to go the distance remains as tense as it did before the Easter weekend, if not quite as tight after a perfect Sunday for Liverpool.

It is Jurgen Klopp’s side who have eked out an advantage, coming from behind again for a nervy win against Brighton before watching their rivals kick lumps out of each other in a game that didn’t lack for tension, but did struggle for quality.

The first goalless draw at the Etihad since September 2021 does mean Pep Guardiola’s side have to rely on others now. They need Liverpool and Arsenal to falter if they are to make it four successive Premier League titles.

You wouldn’t rule that out given what is at stake and it remains the Blues who have the experience to fall back on, but their room for error is going to shrink by the week now. It felt like they couldn't afford to lose this game and they didn’t, but they never looked like winning it either.

They had returned from the final international break of the season in a very similar position to last year, with ground to make up in the Premier League but a treble still very much on the cards.

They had the muscle memory of knowing exactly what was required and it was at this stage of last term when the Etihad became impregnable.

Liverpool and Arsenal were beaten 4-1 in the space of a month, Bayern Munich went down 3-0 and Real Madrid 4-0.

But so far this has been a campaign lacking those kinds of statement wins. There had been a defeat at the Emirates and two draws with Liverpool.