Joleon Lescott fires title race warning after Man City open up 12-point gap over Liverpool

Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has warned his old side the Premier League title race could prove to be closer than they might expect.

City extended their lead at the top of the table and continued their march to another league title as they beat Brentford 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Riyad Mahrez’s first half penalty and Kevin De Bruyne’s composed finish ensured Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their outstanding unbeaten record as the defence of last season’s title remains on course.

City now hold a 12-point advantage over nearest challengers Liverpool, who hold two games in hand and will look to narrow the gap when they face Leicester on Thursday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have also been in fine form, although it would appear to be a tall order for them to chase down City, with the leaders looking unlikely to drop many points for the rest of the season.

But former defender Lescott believes the race may not be over just yet, with Liverpool still hanging in there.

“It’s definitely only between those two teams,” Lescott told BT Sport.

“It could be closer than what people think and what it looks like at the moment, but at this stage of the season you want your destiny in your own hands.

“That’s the case for Man City at the moment, and if they match Liverpool’s results, then they win the league and back-to-back titles as well.”

Should Liverpool be able to keep pace with City, the title race could well come down to the two sides’ meeting later this season.

City are set to host the Reds at the Etihad in April, although they will hope to have extended their lead further by that point as they look to complete a treble along with the Champions League and FA Cup this season.