The Football Insider with Mikael Silvestre: Congratulations to Liverpool and don’t forget Forest!

As we head out of the international break and into the final stretch of the English Premier League season it has been without doubt a very unusual one compared to the past 10 years or so.

Despite what some people are saying now, there was no way at all anyone could have predicted just how much Manchester City would fall from the standards they set under Pep – standards that in some respects took football in England to a whole new level.

But a combination of tiredness, players getting older and opposition working them out more has contributed to a very ordinary season for them.

However, I do think they will take the FA Cup back to the Etihad and that will give them a big lift heading into the summer — when I expect Pep to get the squad to mount a major title challenge from August.

That means them getting through Forest which will be a bitter blow for players and fans in Nottingham. They have had quite a phenomenal season as many predicted them to be in the relegation fight rather than sitting pretty near the top of the league.

Forest is very, very difficult to play against with the low block and they have frustrated some of the best forward lines in world football.

So with that said, I think they will settle nicely in the top four when the season finishes – with Chelsea losing out to City for the last place in the top four.

Liverpool will stroll to the title and be able to rest players when needed to make sure there is no panic at Anfield in the coming weeks.

Arsenal have not had the credit they deserve for their tilt at the title and there have just been a few patches of poor form that has stopped them going very close this time around. We all know the solution – they need goals!

The last point I wanted to make surrounds the big news story of the last week and the potential departure of Trent-Alexander Arnold from Liverpool.

Of course, the fans will be angry as this is a local lad who has gone on to become an exceptional talent.

But he has won everything at Liverpool and looking at the situation this will be his only chance of heading to Madrid to pull on the famous white jersey.

If he turns it down, they will buy another young defender for that side and that will be the door closed for him.

This is a Real Madrid being set up to challenge for every trophy in the coming years with so many players at or close to their peak.

For me he has to make it happen and you have to remember a footballer’s career is pretty short and the decisions you make around contracts are critical. You have to put yourself first and give yourself every chance to look back on your career with no regrets.