Pep Guardiola has revealed the points total he believes Manchester City will need to deny Liverpool the title and retain the Premier League crown for themselves.
This season's battle to be English football's top dogs has been one of the most intense ever with the benchmark of quality set higher than ever before.
A year ago, Guardiola's dominant City side enjoyed a cakewalk to glory with their 100 point total some 19 points more than their nearest challengers, neighbours United.
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However, this term the race looks like going to the wire with next to no margin for error from either side.
Jurgen Klopp's team have been beaten just once all season in the Premier League – to City at the Etihad back on January 3 – but after a winter of discontent which saw them beaten four times times, including three defeats in December, the defending champions have won their last nine matches.
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They still trail Liverpool by two points at the summit but with a game in hand, albeit away to local rivals United, if they were to win their last five games then they would finish top again.
Before then City must overcome a 1-0 first leg deficit against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League – their first defeat in all competitions since a 2-1 reversal at Newcastle United on January 29 – and in his pre-match press conference for the game, Guardiola spelled out the daunting task his side face to avoid relinquishing their most prized piece of silverware.
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He said: “I was aware last season that we would not be able to do what we have done, especially in the Premier League.
“I am the most surprised guy in this organisation because I didn’t expect to have 83 points with five games to play.
“The target is 98 because otherwise we will not be champions.
“I know how difficult our fixtures are and we play Tottenham and then the derby at Old Trafford and Burnley.
“All the games are tough. We don’t have rest. We play nine of ten or 11 games more than Liverpool and I love this challenge.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola confirmed that Fernandinho has trained while Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling are both ok, so Oleksandr Zinchenko is the only player that could miss out through injury.
