Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that his side will 'embrace the pressure' as they battle for the Premier League title.
The Reds, who moved up to second place in the table following their narrow 2-1 victory over Sunderland last night, have proved their doubters wrong having sustained their title challenge throughout the second half of the season.
"I think people looked at us and thought we would tail off," Rodgers is quoted as saying by the London Evening Standard. "For us there is not the expectancy this year when you look at City, the squad they have and the money they've spent and Chelsea as well as they have been dominant over a number of years.
"The pressure will be there but the pressure is for ourselves. We are Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world. We want to represent the club and be winners and we are on that path. I felt in the second part of this season we would be stronger because of the nature of our game.
"There were long spells that we were very good at that but as I said as the season goes on we will embrace that pressure and enjoy it. We keep looking ahead of us, that's always the mantra. We have to keep working well and stay calm. We are one point behind Chelsea and still have to play them here."
Liverpool are on a seven-game unbeaten run which they will try to extend when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.