Glen Johnson believes his former sides Liverpool and Chelsea will have to go through the rest of the Premier League season unbeaten if they are to beat Manchester City to the title.
City are looking to make it two title wins in a row as they sit eight points ahead of Chelsea and nine in front of Liverpool.
Liverpool have a game in hand on City, but the Reds face a tough task on Sunday as they travel to Stamford Bridge for a showdown with Chelsea.
The former right-back highlighted how neither of his former sides can afford to lose again if they are to win the Premier League this season.
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“To give a team like City eight or nine points, it’s going to take some doing,” Johnson said to BoyleSports football .
“We’ve seen stranger things happen for sure, but City don’t show any signs of slowing down, do they?
“The injuries and the illnesses that the other teams are struggling with, City have players that can come in and they’re still a world-class team.
“Their squad is unbelievable, they’re the team that can cope best with knockbacks. It’s just so hard to stop.
“Stranger things have happened but if another team is going to catch them, they will have to go unbeaten for the rest of the season.”
When asked if Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Liverpool was effectively a title race eliminator, Johnson added: “It seems like a silly thing to say because it’s so early in the season but I think it is.
“I can’t see City losing four or five games between now and the end of the season. So yes, I do think that one of these teams is going to have to win.”
