Ilkay Gundogan believes Manchester City must step on the accelerator at the top of the Premier League if they are to deny Liverpool the title.
Another remarkable race for silverware is unfolding in England between the north-west giants, with Pep Guardiola's City currently six points ahead of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Liverpool's trip to City on April 10 could be pivotal in determining the destiny of the trophy, and by the time City are in action next, at Crystal Palace on Monday, their lead could be down to three points.
That is because Liverpool play ahead of them, taking on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Gundogan said: "There is no potential to do mistakes for both sides. We have a showdown at the Etihad in a few weeks.
"Both teams are capable to win all of the remaining games as we both have shown a few years ago. It's going to be a tight race until the end, this is what we believe."
Gundogan is referring to the 2018-19 Premier League season when he reflects on the season when both City and Liverpool stalked each other to the finish line.
It was City who edged that battle with 98 points to the Reds' 97, before Liverpool streaked to glory by 18 points in the following campaign.
City reasserted their authority last term, with a third title in four seasons, and narrowly have the upper hand this time around, albeit with time for that to change. They have 10 games left; Liverpool have 11.
City's shock home defeat to Tottenham on February 19 is their only league loss in the last 18 games, but has highlighted a potential vulnerability at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Guardiola and Klopp have Champions League commitments that must be attended to over the coming weeks and months, having guided their teams to the quarter-finals. Liverpool edged past Inter 2-1 on aggregate, while City sealed an impressive last-16 win over Sporting CP as they consolidated a 5-0 win in Portugal with a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Gundogan said City's home display was "very mature" and safety-first. They are attempting to go one better than last season, when they were beaten 1-0 in the final by Chelsea.
"The confidence is very high," German midfielder Gundogan said. "The experience from the last years always helps. Going into the final last year, even though we lost, it is a great experience for all of our players, especially as it was the first time for a lot of us.
"We smelt last year how it was, the tension and the atmosphere to go into the final.
"Obviously we again have the highest hopes for this year, even though the competition is very big.
"I think there's a lot of quality and potential in our squad. There is no reason not to be confident and that's how we're going to approach also the quarter-finals."
'I know my worth and I will show it' – Antony vows to silence Man Utd critics
Manchester United winger Antony has pledged to silence his critics after ending his long wait for a Premier League goal on Saturday, saying: "I know my worth and I will show it."
Antony has struggled since swapping Ajax for Old Trafford in an £86million ($108m) deal last year, only managing five goals and three assists in 52 Premier League appearances.
The Brazilian failed to net in his first 26 league games this season before ending his goal drought against Burnley on Saturday, though Zeki Amdouni's late penalty earned the Clarets a 1-1 draw.
Antony was also roundly criticised for taunting Coventry City's players in the aftermath of United's FA Cup semi-final win over the Sky Blues earlier this month, with the Red Devils inching through on penalties after surrendering a 3-0 lead in a 3-3 draw.
Having struggled to live up to expectations since arriving in England, he was asked by The Athletic whether his price tag had put him under additional pressure, but he says that is not the case.
"It doesn't really impact me because I know my worth," Antony said. "The money is the money and obviously everyone speaks about it, but no one would if the performances were at the top.
"It's just a way of working harder, knowing I can get better, I know my worth and I will show it. The critics are going to exist, and they make me want to work harder and prove it to myself first.
"I'm going to keep working, giving everything for the group because it's most important to have a good mentality and to be focused."
Saturday's draw officially ended United's hopes of a top-four finish, heightening speculation regarding the future of manager Erik ten Hag.
While Antony accepts United have not been good enough this season, he is hopeful they can end the campaign on a high with another FA Cup final against Manchester City to come.
"It's been a very tough year for me and the team, the results are not ones we expected," Antony added.
"I am someone who takes criticism very well and I want to work on it, and I think we all have to focus on finishing the season the best we can.
"We still have five games and we have to think game by game, get better and go into the final in the best way possible to win it."
Bayer Leverkusen's Puerta sets sights on Copa America
Gustavo Puerta's first season with Bayer Leverkusen could not have gone any better and the 20-year-old midfielder hopes his experience with the undefeated German side will earn him a place in Colombia's Copa America squad this summer.
Puerta has made eight appearances this season for Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 46 matches across all competitions under Xabi Alonso.
Leverkusen will play Roma in the Europa League semi-finals and are also through to the DFB-Pokal final.
"This year has been wonderful for me and for my career, I hope to keep winning titles and get minutes at the end of the tournament," Puerta, who has made five Bundesliga appearances, told Reuters.
Puerta enjoyed success with Colombia's under-20 side and has received his first call-up for the national team's friendlies against Spain and Romania in March.
He hopes to make an impression on coach Nestor Lorenzo with the Copa America on the horizon. The tournament takes place in the United States across June and July.
"Being in this team with an undefeated run is very important to be considered for the national team if the coach (Lorenzo) thinks I can contribute," he added.
"We haven't talked much about it, but he told me that he's keeping an eye on me, that he wants to see me play. I hope to get minutes in the end because it is a privilege to be in the national team, I want to wait for the call-up."
The Colombian added that playing for one of the top 10 teams in the world has not only improved his game but also given him confidence in his abilities.
"It helps you mature, spending time with great world-class players on a daily basis and training with them is important, they are very experienced and that makes a difference for someone as young as me," he added.
Puerta said he felt supported by the club and that he would be able to reach his full potential under Alonso.
"It was historic, very nice, very crazy to have won my first title in one of the top five leagues in Europe," he added.
Ederson injury 'doesn't look good', says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola conceded Ederson's injury "doesn't look good" as Manchester City were forced to wait on the severity of the issue.
Ederson had to be taken off at half-time during City's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, a victory that took them back to within a point of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
The Brazil international needed treatment on an apparent shoulder injury after a collision with Forest defender Willy Boly.
Ederson was seen with his arm in a sling after full-time at the City Ground.
And Guardiola said: "It doesn't look good. We will see [on Monday] with the doctor."
Stefan Ortega again stepped up in Ederson's absence, with City's number two having performed well when called upon this campaign.
Ortega has made seven Premier League appearances this season, making 16 saves from 22 shots on target faced, giving him a save percentage of 72.7.
Ederson, meanwhile, has a save percentage of 67.1, keeping out 53 of the 79 attempts on target he has faced.
Ortega has a slightly better goals prevented figure of 1.6 compared to Ederson's 1.0.
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