Jamie Carragher warned Micah Richards that if Manchester City don’t beat Chelsea in the Champions League final then their season will be a ‘failure’ following his jibe towards Liverpool, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (05/05/21 at 10:05 pm).
Liverpool were the last English team to win the European Cup when they were involved in an all-English final – and one of Chelsea or Manchester City will take their crown in Istanbul as English football dominates once again on the European stage.
Real Madrid may have knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League, but the most successful team in this competition were unable to see past Chelsea last night.
In truth, it was an easy second leg for both Chelsea and Manchester City, who didn’t allow either Madrid or PSG to score, as the duo produced outstanding defensive displays.
And before ex-Man City defender, Richards, could jibe at Carragher that Liverpool aren’t going to contest the Champions League final, the Sky Sports pundit spoke about the rest of Europe struggling to cope with the quality of the Premier League.
“Maybe even tomorrow we could have four teams in the two European finals,” said Carragher. “We go back to a big story in the last couple of weeks, which was the Super League.
“I think it just tells you why Perez and Laporta are desperate for the Super League. At this moment, they cannot cope with the Premier League, and it’s not just the quality of football, it’s the finances which help them produce the best teams, players and managers.
“You think of the great job Thomas Tuchel has done. You have Pep Guardiola in the final and you have Jurgen Klopp in the league as well. At this moment, the Premier League is the place to be and it’s a sorry tale for the rest of Europe as they seem a fair bit away.”
“You said all the big teams, all but Liverpool, what happened?” questioned Richards.
Carragher responded: “Yes, it is but when you have won it six times and you have been in the final nine times.”
Richards added: “Well, you are only as good as your last game. Didn’t your coach ever tell you that?”
Carragher responded: “If you get beat in the final then your season is a failure.”
There’s no doubt that Manchester City will be the favourites in Istanbul, as another English side will join Liverpool in having happy footballing memories in Turkey.
If there’s a repeat of that AC Milan comeback, from either two on May 29, then the neutral supporters will be in for another treat.
On the whole, Guardiola’s side have been the dominant team in Europe this season and they should secure their first European crown.
But all of that domination will lead to nothing if they cannot do the business when it matters most.
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