John Barnes questions Manchester City's team spirit

Roberto Mancini
© PA Photos
John Barnes asks if Manchester City have the togetherness to bounce back from defeat.

Liverpool legend John Barnes has asked if Manchester City have the team spirit and togetherness to bounce back from defeat ahead of their trip to Merseyside this afternoon.

The Citizens have been dominant on the domestic front this season and could go seven points clear at the top of the table with a win at Anfield. However, after the big-spending side's 2-1 defeat to Napoli in midweek, Barnes believes that doubts could begin to creep in.

"City are the best team in the country when things are going well," he told The Mirror. "But when things aren't going so well, will they have problems of character?

"At City, with a billionaire who wants to spend his way to success, if it doesn't work, he spends more money.

"Money brings you great players, but we will see, through the course of the season, whether it brings team spirit. We have seen them be a team when they win. The real test is when they lose a game."

Seventh-place Liverpool could fall 14 points behind leaders City in the event of a loss later today.

Roberto Mancini
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CLeicester CityLeicester362211364343077
2Tottenham HotspurSpurs361913467283970
3Arsenal361910759342567
4Manchester CityMan City361971068383064
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd35179943311260
6West Ham UnitedWest Ham351514660431759
7Southampton361691153391457
8Liverpool3515101059481155
9Chelsea351212115548748
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12Watford35128153642-644
13Swansea CitySwansea361110153750-1343
14West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom361011153246-1441
15Bournemouth36118174363-2041
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17Newcastle UnitedNewcastle3689193964-2533
18Sunderland35711174058-1832
19Norwich CityNorwich3587203561-2631
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