Share

Milner wants Everton scalp

Liverpool - James Milner has challenged Manchester City to seize the initiative in the Premier League title race when they face struggling Everton on Saturday.

Manuel Pellegrini's side are joint top of the table with Chelsea, behind the Blues only on alphabetical order, after hitting a rich vein of form in recent weeks.

The reigning champions trailed Jose Mourinho's men by eight points in November and their indifferent form was raising questions over the long-term future of Pellegrini.

But those doubts have been swept aside amid a run of 13 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Their only blip during the congested festive programme was a 2-2 draw with Burnley and Milner sees no reason why momentum cannot be maintained, starting at Goodison Park this weekend.

"Hopefully we'll be looking to open up a little gap of our own," said Milner, who scored twice to seal last weekend's 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup third round.

"You look at this run (ahead) and people think it is tougher than the games we had over Christmas but - it is an old cliche in the Premier League - there are form teams and out-of-form teams. Every game is difficult.

"You've got teams at the bottom who look and think, 'We're going to win that game,' - look at Burnley coming here and how well they played.

"Sometimes it is easier to play against teams who are mid-table and pushing for Europe and are moving it around a lot more. Who knows what an easy game is? It is the Premier League.

"All we can do is concentrate on our games and if we can get the results we want to get, it depends on how Chelsea do."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE