EXCLUSIVE
Boxing legend Ricky Hatton has insisted Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool provide Manchester City with their scariest game of the season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side head to the Etihad for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off – exclusively live on talkSPORT – aiming to leapfrog the reigning Premier League champions into top spot.
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Liverpool come into the game on a five-match unbeaten run and just one point adrift of Pep Guardiola’s leaders.
The Treble winners ran out 4-1 winners at the Etihad in April, but City fan Hatton expects things to be tighter this time round against the Reds, whom he claims to be City’s toughest challengers.
“Obviously when the derby game comes up against Manchester United, derbies are always going to be tough,” the former two-weight world boxing champion told talkSPORT.
“I think [Liverpool] is our toughest game and none more so than this year because Liverpool have hit good form again.
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“City’s last game [vs Chelsea] which is probably the best game I’ve seen this season, we were dreadful.
"I’ve never seen us play as bad as that and coming into Liverpool for our next game we need to pull our socks up and get back on track again and Liverpool always seem to do well against City."
Manchester City are aiming to make history by becoming the first club to win four-consecutive Premier League titles.
City are overriding favourites to lift the title again in May, but Hatton isn’t counting his chickens just yet and expects a resurgent Liverpool to push them all the way.
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“It’s always a big game when we play Liverpool. They’re going to push us close this year,” he added.
“If they keep maintaining what they're doing, then it's all about confidence. They could be our biggest threat. City are the standout team.
"I think we’d all agree with that. But there’s several teams like your Arsenals, your Chelseas and your Liverpools and your Tottenhams.
"But at some stage over the season, I’d like to think they’d all beat each other and we might pull away.
“But you play your rivals, the teams that will be pushing you and you need to put them to the sword a little bit to send them a message and that’s what City need to do on Saturday.”