Liverpool and Manchester City are the only contenders for the Premier League title: Stan Collymore

According to Stan Collymore, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only real contenders in the race for Premier League glory, while Manchester United and Chelsea will choke under pressure.

The 50-year-old believes that while the likes of Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have all been at the top of the Premier League table at some point this season, they lack the ingredients required to sustain the title challenge over a 38-game period.

Manchester City are now a point clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand 🏆Liverpool are seven points off 😬West Ham fourth, Everton could go third if they win their games in hand 👀 pic.twitter.com/4EGcACBwmk

— Goal (@goal) January 27, 2021

Collymore told The Mirror:

“The list of big-time chokers in this season's Premier League title race is a long one. Man Utd, Leicester, Chelsea, Spurs.... all choking to a greater or lesser degree at the precise moment everyone starts talking about them as real challengers."

“I'm baffled why so many people get lured into this, year in, year out. Several top-eight teams are built up way beyond their station after a few good results as we look for a potential surprise at the top."

“Even when it's obvious who the real favourites are – Manchester City and Liverpool."

The former Liverpool man added:

“If you've won the title recently, or run up huge points totals and come up short in the last three years, you automatically go into a title race. You tick most of the boxes as to what is needed to go over the 38 hurdles. Longevity, resilience, the ability to overcome injuries and a blip in form."

“Winners don't clear 15 or 20 hurdles. The Premier League has 38 full hurdles of the most difficult course in world football. Why anyone would put the clubs above in a title race after less than half a season is beyond me.

He concluded:

“Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea, Leicester lack ingredients. I played in Liverpool teams who choked, bottled it. We didn't have the fundamentals to back up a great result. You need experience to win titles and Man City and Liverpool have that. You need leadership and responsibility, players to fill the gaps during loss of form and injury.”

Liverpool and Manchester City begin to pull clear at the top of the Premier League

Manchester City currently sit at the summit of the Premier League

Coming into the 2020-21 Premier League season, Chelsea acquired some of the best talents across Europe and looked set to make a push for the title. However, the Blues have had a disappointing campaign as they sit seventh in the table, seven and eleven points adrift of Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively.

Manchester United, on the other hand, started their season slowly but are currently placed second, level on points with Manchester City, who have a game tonight. Meanwhile, Liverpool are hot on their tail in third place.

While there have been no clear runaway leaders yet, Liverpool and Manchester City have begun to pull clear of the rest of the league.

WWWWWWWWWManchester City were unstoppable in January 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SUCpc5lXLn

— Goal (@goal) February 1, 2021

While they might have started their season on the back foot, Liverpool and Manchester City are now battling for supremacy.