Champions League: ‘That would tell you the strength of Premier League’ – Terry Phelan wants a Liverpool-Man City final

The quarterfinals of this year’s Champions League begin later tonight, with two English teams – Liverpool (against Benfica) and Manchester City (against Atletico Madrid) in action. And former Republic of Ireland footballer Terry Phelan doesn’t rule out the possibility of seeing the two English giants in the final of the coveted continental tournament. 

Both, City and Liverpool are at loggerheads in the Premier League this season with Pep Guardiola’s team only a point ahead of the Merseyside club after 30 games each. With the title race expected to go down to the wire, Phelan says it “would be fantastic” to have both teams renew their rivalry in the biggest club game in European football. In addition to the domestic league and Europe, both sides will also be meeting for a place in the final of the FA Cup on April 16.

“I would love to see that (an all-English final), and I think, so will others,” Phelan replied to a query from Hindustan Times during a media interaction ahead of the Champions League quarterfinals. 

“That would just tell you the strength of the Premier League, wouldn’t it? It can happen because you have got teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City in there, who are doing very well in the Premier League. Obviously, you have got other teams like Bayern Munich, who will also be eyeing a spot in the final. Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid as well. On the other hand, you see Benfica and Villarreal and think, ‘is this the year of underdogs’? So, you have got some fantastic teams with some fantastic strikers.

“But I would love to see a Liverpool-Man City final if that could happen. It would be absolutely fantastic.”

While Phelan did name his preference for the two English clubs, what about the remaining one? Chelsea have had a horrid outing in their last Premier League game against Brentford, where the side conceded a 1-4 defeat. Does a defeat like that – especially before a Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid – affect the side’s mindset?

“In the Premier League, you often get games where nothing goes right. You can see a few goals here and there. Chelsea started off great, they scored a great goal, but then they went to pieces. But Champions League is different from the Premier League. You have got two games, you’ve got to be nice, strong, and rigid at home and get the win under your belt, feel comfortable,” Phelan said.

“Obviously, Real would want to get a result at Stamford Bridge. There are ongoing problems at Chelsea with their owner leaving his role, but it is up to the players on the field to turn things around. Personally, I wouldn’t look into the Brentford game too much. This is a different game, with different objectives.”

At the same time, however, Phelan also warned Chelsea that it wouldn’t be just about stopping Karim Benzema alone.

“We saw what Real Madrid did against PSG. All-out attack, pressed PSG all over the park. Yes, PSG went 1-0 up but Real won the game. They have got an array of talent upfront and in the midfield. Some people say Chelsea are taking on a team that has aged in the midfield, with Casemiro, Kroos, and Modric, but I think they are one of the best midfield players — specifically as a unit. Upfront, you have got Benzema and Vinicius Jr. who score goals for fun. So, it is about stopping Real Madrid, not just one or two players,” said the former Irish player who earned 42 caps for the international side between 1991-2000. 

Still a long way to go for West Ham

Over the past couple of seasons, West Ham United have been one of the most improved sides in the Premier League. Incidentally, their consistent progress runs parallel with the mounting inconsistencies in clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham are not yet out of the race of top-4 in the Premier League this season, even if it does look a little challenging.

But does Phelan see West Ham producing a similar fairytale to Villarreal in Europe’s biggest club competition in the near future?

“In the Premier League, anybody could be anybody. It’s a long goal drag. There’s no winter break. It’s tough for teams, you need a big squad. I think West Ham have done a wonderful job under David Moyes, but I don’t think they have got the money to really challenge,” Phelan told Hindustan Times. 

“I think West Ham would be happy getting into Europe. They seem to get one or two bargain buys, but I don’t think they’ve got 60-70m pounds to spend. The 25-30m brackets, they have got – which is still a lot of money, to tell the truth. I wish I had 30m pounds to spend on a player in India.”

While the former Manchester City defender did admit that there are inconsistencies in other clubs, it would be difficult to expect the owners at West Ham to compete with the big-six in England.

“We watched yesterday, they annihilated Newcastle. United have been indifferent, we don’t know what’s going on there. But I think it’s a dream for West Ham to be in there. 

“Villarreal know how to win games and it is not going to be easy for Bayern Munich. Talking about West Ham, they have had a great season. We have still got a few games so we will know if they qualify or not. But can they build on this season? Can owners give David Moyes enough money for him to build on what he has done this season?” the 55-year-old said.

Watch UEFA Champions League 2021-22 (Quarter-final Leg 1) – LIVE on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) & SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels from April 6, 2022, at 12:30 am IST.