Liverpool downfall predicted

Palace beat City 3-2 at the Etihad in a thrilling game on Saturday to leave the reigning champions trailing Hodgson’s former club Liverpool by four points after 18 games. Liverpool are still unbeaten in the league but Hodgson thinks City boss Pep Guardiola will be fully aware that there could be more surprising results to come as the season unfolds.

“Pep Guardiola is a very intelligent guy. They haven’t caught up those four points but he knows there are 20 matches left to play – and one of those is going to be against Liverpool. I don’t think he will be concerned about that and he’ll know that, no matter how Liverpool play, they will come against a game like this. They will go somewhere and someone will beat them against the odds. Someone will upset them. There is a long way to go yet,” said Hodgson.

Palace winger Andros Townsend scored a goal of the season contender during the win over City, but he also thinks there is still plenty of hope for the reigning champions.

“I have said before, Man City are probably the team of our generation. I have never played against a team as good as them, especially at home, and it is impossible to get the ball off them. We knew if we were going to get anything it was going to have to be a perfect disciplined performance and it saw us to a well-needed three points,” said Townsend.