Liverpool slashed to complete quadruple but formidable City stand in their way

Jurgen Klopp insists that Liverpool's players will not be distracted by talk of an unprecedented quadruple this season but a potential clean sweep for the Reds is certainly playing on the minds of bookmakers.

The odds about Klopp's side adding the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup to the EFL Cup they won in February are down to 8-1, from 1,500-1 earlier in the season, and layers face significant liabilities if the rampant Reds claim all four major trophies.

Liverpool have needed a remarkable run of form just to reach this stage, as illustrated by the fact that they were still 750-1 with bet365 to win the quadruple after a 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea on January 2.

As recently as February 9, the Reds found themselves 14 points behind Manchester City in the title race, albeit with two games in hand, but City's dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham on February 19 proved a key turning point.

Since Liverpool's draw with Chelsea, in which they let slip a 2-0 lead, they have won 11 of their 12 league matches and the only blip was a 2-2 draw with City at the Etihad Stadium.

They picked up the first trophy of the campaign at the end of February, winning an epic penalty shootout against Chelsea in the EFL Cup final, beat Inter and Benfica to reach the last four of the Champions League, and cleared a major hurdle last weekend with a 3-2 win over City in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Liverpool still trail the Citizens by one point in the league but punters who jumped aboard the quad bandwagon are set for an exciting end to the campaign and Hills spokesman Tony Kenny said: "Like many others we're facing big liabilities if they complete the feat and we estimate a Liverpool quadruple could mean the industry faces a payout of over £10m."

Steve Freeth of bet365 said: "We've laid a whole host of £20 and £10 bets on this market. It would be a £3m loser for us although we still have Manchester City fighting our corner in the Premier League title race and quite possibly in the Champions League final as well."

At this stage of recent seasons, the Citizens have been the team causing bookies sleepless nights. Pep Guardiola's side threatened to scoop the lot in 2017-18 before a shock FA Cup defeat at Wigan ended their quadruple dream and the following season they won the domestic treble but lost to Tottenham in a thrilling Champions League quarter-final.

Last term, City won the league and the EFL Cup but were beaten by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and the Champions League final and they have the potential to spoil Liverpool's chances of making history this time around.

Retaining the league title is still in City's hands. They returned to the top of the table with a 3-0 home win over Brighton on Wednesday and their six remaining fixtures are all against opponents outside the current top six.

Liverpool have a decent run-in too. They are just 1-5 to beat Merseyside derby rivals Everton at Anfield on Sunday before a tricky trip to resurgent Newcastle and a home game against Tottenham, who are chasing a top-four finish.

The Reds are 4-7 to win the FA Cup final on May 14 against Chelsea, who have lost three of the past five cup finals including surprise defeats to Leicester and Arsenal in the last two years.

Liverpool have had a kind draw in the Champions League and they are hot favourites to get past semi-final opponents Villarreal, who knocked out Bayern Munich in the last eight.

It is just 4-7 that they meet City, who play Real Madrid in the other semi, in the final. A showdown between quadruple-chasing Liverpool and a Manchester City side desperate to be crowned European champions for the first time is a tantalising prospect.

Even with the Reds as short as 5-1 for the quad, Klopp is wise not to get too carried away about their chances – particularly with rivals as formidable as City blocking their path to glory.

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