Xherdan Shaqiri insists Liverpool not cracking under pressure of leading

Jurgen Klopp’s side extended their lead at the summit with their 5-1 victory over Arsenal

Xherdan Shaqiri is adamant that Liverpool are not feeling the pressure of leading the Premier League title race ahead of Thursday’s meeting with champions Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side extended their lead at the summit of the table with their 5-1 victory over Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday.

Liverpool will now travel to the Etihad on Thursday seven points ahead of City, knowing they could open up a double-digit lead on the champions with victory.

After failing to capitalise on festive period leads in 2009 and 2014, some have questioned whether Liverpool will crack under the pressure.

Shaqiri, however, believes that victories like that against Arsenal show he and his team-mates are taking the expectations in their stride.

“Pressure is everywhere in your life,” Shaqiri said. “Even in football, there is always pressure.

“When you are first in the table everyone comes after you, everyone wants to beat you, so every game is very tough.

“We just have to keep going, to stay at the highest level. Then I'm sure we can keep going, but there's a long way to go if we're going to be successful.”

Shaqiri knows that victory at the Etihad on Thursday will make Liverpool sure-fire favourites to win a first league title since 1990, but believes City will still be in the hunt no matter the result.

“For us we don't go there to take Man City out of the race,” he said. “We go there for a Premier League game. We go there to make a good performance first of all and try to win games.

“That's the only goal that we have. There are not other things in our minds at the moment. We just have to keep going, to work hard every day in training to win games.

“I'm sure when we keep going like this we are going to be very successful.”