Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard gets teary-eyed after win over Manchester City

A highly emotional Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool has made the ‘biggest statement’ yet in its bid for Premier League title glory.

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard believes his side has made the ‘biggest statement’ yet in its bid for Premier League title glory.

Brendan Rodgers’ side defeated Manchester City 3-2 at Anfield to move seven points clear of Manuel Pellegrini’s men, although City still hold two games in hand.

On an emotional afternoon, as Liverpool paid tribute to the 96 supporters who lost their lives in the Hillsborough tragedy, Gerrard had tears in his eyes at the final whistle before gathering his team together in a huddle.

The Reds have four games remaining — against Norwich, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Newcastle — and know a continuation of their 10-game winning streak will see them take the title for the first time since 1990.

News_Rich_Media: Liverpool fans deliver a touching tribute on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster with a stirring rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Philippe Coutinho hit a dramatic late winner after City had hit back from 2-0 down to level through David Silva and a Glen Johnson own goal following Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel’s first-half strikes.

Gerrard insisted that they need to retain their focus in the title race, with relegation-threatened Norwich their next opponents at Carrow Road on Sunday.

“We need to keep calm, there are still four big games to come. That meant so much, especially when they got back into the game,” Gerrard told Sky Sports.

“I think we showed today we are going to go to the wire, we are going to go all the way. Nothing is won yet, but that was probably the biggest statement we have made so far.

“That’s the longest 90 minutes I’ve probably ever played in. It felt like the clock was going backwards in some parts of that game.

“But that is such a big result for us. We’ve got four cup finals left. People said that was the biggest one, but I disagree — I think the biggest one now is Norwich.

“Nothing is ours yet. The important thing now is not to get carried away with that result.”

News_Rich_Media: On a day where emotion and occasion certainly could have got the better of Liverpool, the Reds overcame Manchester City in a thriller on a day that commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Manager Brendan Rodgers expressed a similar sentiment, although he knew how difficult it would be to keep a lid on things on such an emotion-charged day.

“The expectancy of this football club is a challenge every day,” Rodgers said.

“We’ve been put under pressure in every game that we’ve played. But you see the level and the quality of our football — it was fantastic today — so we’re clearly coping with it.

“It was a remarkable performance. I thought we were incredible today. I think the world watching that would see a team with so much spirit and so much quality.”

News_Image_File: Gerrard embraces defender Martin Skrtel after he scored Liverpool’s second goal.

Like Gerrard and all Liverpool fans, Rodgers wanted to pay tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.

“There is always an emotive side around this time, people were wondering if that would affect us. But we live with that every day.

“The families and the victims of Hillsborough are with us every day, in our thoughts. It was an inspiration for us, rather than something that would hold us back.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insisted his side was still very much in the title hunt, despite Sunday’s loss and the massive injury blow suffered when midfielder Yaya Toure left the Anfield pitch.

Pellegrini suggested the Ivorian’s EPL season could be over.

“It’s difficult for Yaya to be in the next game,” Pellegrini said. “We will see tomorrow, I don’t know how serious he is injured.

“I think it will be difficult for him to finish playing this season.

“We will continue fighting, nothing is finished today.

“If Liverpool win their four games that they have to play and win 14 games in a row they deserve to be the champions. If they don’t win their four games, we are going to be.

“The title didn’t finish today.”