'Let's not beat around the bush - Liverpool look invincible at the moment'

Just a couple of months ago Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Liverpool looked just like another match for Pep Guardiola's men to tick off on their way to Premier League glory.

Now, on the eve of the game, suddenly it's not far short of a title-decider and with the stakes at their absolute highest, that's where Liverpool will be seen at their best.

And that's why I think they are the team to back at City, who at the very least are a lay, and why I also believe the Reds will go on and win the title.

Let's not beat about the bush – Liverpool look invincible at the moment. Ten straight league wins, still going strong in two cups, one won already, I think they're the best team in Europe right now.

Even when they don't play well you never get a feeling they are in bother.

On Tuesday at Benfica, when they made the mistake to concede and were under the cosh for 20 minutes, I still never doubted they'd win. Not for a second. They've got so much confidence in their own ability.

In recent weeks they have won games without being at their best but have still looked pretty comfortable. Take the Watford game -they weren't great but they still won 2-0. You can't be 100 per cent every week but with their defence - one that hardly concedes - they probably need to score only one goal to win and I like that about them.

I'm not worried about Mo Salah's lack of goals. We compare him with the best centre-forwards Liverpool have ever had because he is one of the best they've ever had – and he even plays on the wing. He will start scoring again.

Having Trent Alexander-Arnold fit is a massive plus but it's the options in attack against a City defence missing Ruben Dias which make me so confident about the Reds. There might not be lots of goals but as we've seen with this Liverpool team of late, one might be enough.

Dias is a big miss for City. Liverpool weren't the same when they lost Virgil van Dijk – those commanding central defenders don't come along often.

Jurgen Klopp has options in attack. I think he'll play Diogo Jota through the middle and bring Luis Diaz off the bench – but he has so many choices. City also have plenty of forward options on the bench but it doesn't necessarily mean they will perform when they come on.

And that is where the impact of the managers could well be felt. The way Liverpool players speak about their manager, they would run through brick walls for him. I'm not sure City's players would do the same for Pep Guardiola.

I wonder if Guardiola has taken a bit of liberty and freedom off the players and that can be a difference in tight games which this one probably will be. Sometimes in a tight game, players have to make decisions, a manager can't help you. When the chips are down I've got a lot more confidence in a side who have been sent out by Klopp than one sent out by Guardiola.

Yes, Guardiola is a good manager, I get that, but he's still yet to win the Champions League with City and I think that plays on his mind. And given that shortcoming every year, coupled with the fact that Liverpool have eaten away at their lead in the title race, he and his team are under pressure.

They know that victory gets them a four-point edge and that will take some eroding. But pressure can do funny things, even to the greatest players, and I fancy Liverpool.

Quad quest will be extremely tough

It's pretty incredible that here we are, approaching the middle of April, and we're talking about Liverpool winning a quadruple.

It's possible, of course it is, because this is a very special Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp – but it's also going to be extremely hard.

Yes, the number of matches between Liverpool and that amazing feat reduce every week, but the calibre of opposition doesn't get any weaker and the pressure only intensifies.

And it's going to be hard because they've got to beat Manchester City in the Premier League – probably – and again in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and they may well meet them in the Champions League final, too.

United won the treble in 1999 which a lot of people thought wouldn’t be possible but, in simple numbers, the quad is definitely possible. In the Champions League Liverpool are four games away, the FA Cup two. I still think it's unlikely, and although I wouldn't be surprised if they did it, I wouldn't be advising it as a bet.

Things change, often when you least expect them to, and there are enough traps in their remaining fixtures to suggest they probably aren't much of a value wager to create history.

Escaria Ten looks just grand in National

It's a very special weekend in Liverpool with Sunday's Eithad showdown coming just as the dust settles on the Grand National meeting.

The National meeting at Aintree is just a brilliant event. Everyone looks forward to it and it almost unites the city.

I've been to the meeting once - and that's enough for me! - and loved it. I was aware of how big it was before I came to England and it was a real privilege to be part of a city that gets so much pleasure out of such an iconic sporting occasion.

As for this National, Escaria Ten looks well handicapped and the type of horse who should travel and jump well.

Not got a Paddy Power account? Sign up and get up to £50 in free sports bets

Place a single £10 Sportsbook bet and get money back as a free bet if it loses. There are x5 Free Bets available. Max refund per qualifying bet is £10. Only deposits made via Credit/Debit Card will be eligible for the promotion. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply 18+ begambleaware.org

MORE FREE BETS

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport