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Benitez backs Liverpool to maintain their title challenge

:Headline: Benitez backs Liverpool to maintain their title challenge: ID:345138: from db_amp
The Reds are four points clear at the top of the table heading into Christmas.

Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has backed the club to push reigning champions Manchester City all the way in a two-horse race for this season's Premier League title.

Benitez takes his Newcastle side to Anfield on Boxing Day with the Reds four points clear of City, who lost 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday, and top of the table – a game before the halfway stage.

Jurgen Klopp's men finished fourth at the end of the last campaign, 25 points adrift of the champions, but the Spaniard is tipping them to make a better fist of it this time around.

Asked if they are title favourites, he said: "Still it's too soon, but I think both teams are a little bit ahead of the others. I haven't seen the Manchester City game, but nobody was expecting that.

"But as I've said before, Crystal Palace, the three up front, you can buy them for £50million, each one, so it sometimes can happen when teams have good players to play on the counter-attack.

"But still I can see Liverpool, I can see Manchester City ahead of the others. Liverpool are in form, they are doing really well and it will be a very difficult game for us."

Benitez famously guided Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005 courtesy of a remarkable fightback against AC Milan in the final in Istanbul, and he believes Klopp has a stronger squad at his disposal than he had at the time.

Asked if the current Liverpool side is the best since his, he replied: "It's difficult to say 'team' because always in my head is that when we beat Real Madrid and Barcelona, there was a great team, but what I think is they have the best squad.

"When you spend money, you bring in better players – they have signed Fabinho, spent some money on (Naby) Keita, but they kept (Jordan) Henderson and they kept (Georginio) Wijnaldum, so you keep the good players and you bring in new players, so the squad is better.

"What does that mean? That in different competitions, different games, still you have a strong team on the pitch."

The Magpies will arrive on Merseyside desperate to improve upon a tepid display in Saturday's goalless home draw with lowly Fulham, which left them five points clear of the relegation zone.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
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