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LONDON. — Nicolas Otamendi has given due notice to Manchester City’s rivals that the English Premier League soccer leaders won’t let their unexpected collapse at Liverpool derail their title charge.

Pep Guardiola’s side saw their unbeaten start to the league season come to an end as Liverpool’s 4-3 victory inflicted City’s first top-flight loss in 30 matches dating back to April.

City had arrived on Merseyside with pundits predicting they would go through the entire season without defeat, but instead they were blown away by Liverpool, who raced into a 4-1 lead before conceding twice in the final moments.

Otamendi was part of City’s defensive meltdown as they failed to deal with Liverpool’s pace and movement.

But the Argentina centre-back is confident City, who hold a 12-point lead over second placed Manchester United, will put that behind them and get back on track when Newcastle visit Eastlands today.

“The season is going really well and we want to keep going in that way,” Otamendi said.

“We are very focused on every single game, and afterwards we try to recover in the best way we can and be focused for the next.

“I think that now I have an important role because the central defenders have to build-up with the ball and make the team work as best as we can. Pep has taught us how to do that.”

City are still firm favourites to lift the title, but Jose Mourinho’s team at least closed the gap by beating Stoke on Monday and United defender Phil Jones is adamant the race isn’t over yet.

Jones remembers when United were in a position as comfortable as City’s six years ago, only to eventually miss out on the silverware after a late-season collapse.

“Football’s football, never say never,” Jones said ahead of United’s trip to Burnley today.

“I remember in my first season we were eight points clear, absolutely cruising, everyone thought there was no way we’d let the lead slip, and we lost it on the final day.

“People can say what they want but we’ll continue to be positive and push forward. It happened in 2012 to us so why not?”

United’s title bid would receive a boost if, as expected, they complete a deal to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal after out-bidding City for the Chile forward.

Third placed Liverpool showed against City they can cope without Philippe Coutinho following the Brazil forward’s recent move to Barcelona.

But Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum admits they will not be title contenders until they learn how to kill off matches.

However, having been 4-1 up with seven minutes to go, Liverpool conceded twice and faced an unnecessarily nervous finish.

“We gave them a chance to come back. That is the biggest thing we have to change if we want to compete for the title with teams like City,” Wijnaldum said.

“That is something we didn’t do.

Chelsea travel to Brighton without the suspended Pedro and Alvaro Morata as Antonio Conte’s side look for a first league win in 2018.

Trailing eight points behind fourth placed Chelsea in the fight to qualify for the Champions League, Arsenal could be without Sanchez for the first time when they host Crystal Palace.

The Gunners have failed to win their last six matches including an FA Cup exit at second tier Nottingham Forest.

Wenger, who says the Sanchez deal is likely to happen, has been linked with Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and West Brom defender Jonny Evans as he tries to revive his struggling side.

Wenger insists Arsenal’s turbulent January hasn’t affected his desire to remain in charge of the troubled Premier League club beyond this season.

Wenger’s side head into today’s clash with Crystal Palace in crisis with their star forward Sanchez preparing to join Manchester United.

Since beating Palace on December 28, Arsenal have taken just two points from their three league games to leave them trailing eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the fight to qualify for the Champions League.

Adding insult to injury, the Gunners suffered an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Championship side Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

Wenger’s problems have once again thrust his future into the spotlight, with fans once again calling for the Frenchman to resign after 14 years without a league title.

But the 68-year-old has vowed to revive Arsenal’s fortunes and, asked this week if this could be his final season, Wenger said: “No, that’s not the way I respond.

“I agree completely that 2018 until now has not been very positive but I am long enough in the job to know that what is important is how we respond to it and to focus on the performance.

“My personal situation is a bit secondary to all of that, what is important is how the team responds and what we make of 2018.

“We have many challenges, it is difficult at the moment, but as well very exciting because we have many challenges in front of us and we can come back in the Champions League.”

By the time Arsenal face Palace, Sanchez could finally have got his wish to leave, with reports claiming the Chilean is on the verge of a £30 million move to United that would make him the league’s highest paid player.

Wenger hopes the closing of the transfer window on January 31 will provide Arsenal with clarity and a renewed focus.

“We of course play the semi-final (of the League Cup) next week and after we have the Europa League as well, which is another target, so we have to very quickly get over this transfer period because for us especially this period has been more disturbing than ever,” Wenger said.

“Why? Because we have big players that are at the end of their contract and that is the first time that it happens, that we have such influential players close to the end of their contracts and it has been more destabilising than ever.

“I have no stress measurement at all. The experience I have helps me to focus on what is important at the right moment.”

Despite Arsenal’s woes, Palace boss Roy Hodgson believes the vilification of Wenger is unjustified.

Hodgson ranks Wenger alongside former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson as one of the greatest bosses in English football history.

“I think there are managers like Arsene who deserve the utmost respect because of what he’s done in the game of football, not least here in England,” Hodgson said.

Fixtures (all 5pm unless otherwise stated)

Today: Arsenal v Crystal Palace, Brighton v Chelsea (2:30pm), Burnley v Manchester United, Manchester City v Newcastle (7:30pm), Everton v West Brom, Leicester v Watford, Stoke v Huddersfield, West Ham v Bournemouth.

Tomorrow: Southampton v Tottenham (6pm).

Monday: Swansea v Liverpool (10pm). — AFP.