Steven Gerrard doesn't think he is entirely to blame for the goal that ended Liverpool's title hopes back in 2014.
The former Reds captain has become synonymous with the slip at Anfield on April 27, 2014 which allowed Demba Ba to stride through unchallenged and give Chelsea the lead in a crucial encounter for Brendan Rodgers' title-chasing side.
The goal put Gerrard and Co into a position from which they never recovered, going on to lose the match 2-0, before well and truly blowing their chances a week later when surrendering a 3-0 lead to draw at Crystal Palace.
The former England midfielder's momentary lapse has always been cited as the moment the Premier League pendulum swung firmly in Manchester City's favour that season, however, Gerrard - with his tongue firmly in his cheek - insists that his team-mates had a role to play as well.
Speaking on the Greatest Game Podcast, host and former team-mate Jamie Carraghersaid to the Rangers manager: 'It’s hard to leave Liverpool, when you’ve been a local player.
'Also, I sometimes think should I have stayed another year? Obviously Liverpool never won the league but I might have made a difference, I might have made it worse. Who knows?
Gerrard replied: ‘You might have been in a better position to stop that f****** goal – f****** hell, them full-backs, high and wide.
Speaking later on, Gerrard admitted that the incident does still play on his mind.
Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp, are on course to break their English title drought, having not lifted a top-flight title since 1990.
And the 39-year-old believes seeing the Reds lift the title in 2020 would go some way to easing his own sense of anguish.
'I think about it most days,' when asked about the slip. 'A Liverpool team winning the league would help how I feel for sure. When I analyse it properly I understand it wasn’t just that moment (the slip) but still part of my head thinks it is.
'People say to me, to make me feel better, it was over 38 games. But I still know, behind what you’re saying to me, that moment was so big. Brendan said something recently - oh Jordan Henderson’s suspension killed us and it did. And it might have had a minor per cent – an own goal that Kolo scored once when we were winning at West Brom and we ended up drawing the game, costing two points.
'All little things like that during the season. But it wasn’t at that time, at that moment against that team. So to answer your Q, yes it would.'
