Former England stars agree on Liverpool’s impact in Man City win over Newcastle

Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp believe Liverpool’s home draw with Tottenham Hotspur played a significant role in Manchester City’s demolition of Newcastle United on Sunday

Jurgen Klopp’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Spurs the night before as a Luis Diaz goal cancelled out an opener from Heung-Min Son.

That meant City knew they would give themselves a lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 5-0 win over the resurgent Magpies.

There was little doubt over the result as a Raheem Sterling brace and a goal apiece from Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Phil Foden gave Pep Guardiola’s side a comprehensive win and helped them move on from their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

Former City star Richards lauded the performance of his old club - but insisted the events at Anfield less than 24 hours earlier had given them a major boost.

He told Sky Sports: “We asked for a response and we totally got it. Kevin De Bruyne, that man on the field today. He had a quiet game against Real Madrid, but he came up trumps.

“He was just brilliant from start to finish. That’s exactly what they needed. The Liverpool vs Spurs game would have given them encouragement for today and I think it really did.”

Redknapp agreed with his fellow pundit and hailed City’s display as “a brilliant performance.”

“I do think it helped a lot with the Liverpool result. It took the pressure off them, a bit of belief and the stadium was lifted by it with the atmosphere before the game. It was a brilliant performance.”