Alan Shearer: Neither Man City nor Liverpool deserve to finish second

Alan Shearer and Ian Wright join Gary Lineker on the final Match of the Day of the season for the climax to the Premier League title race at 22:30 BST on Sunday on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.

What Manchester City and Liverpool have done this week in the Premier League and Europe has underlined what exceptional teams they both are, and what a special season this has been.

It has been a title race like no other I can remember, because of the relentless way both teams have kept on getting results.

I am expecting both teams to continue their winning runs in their final league games of the season on Sunday, which would mean Liverpool missing out on the title having only lost once in that competition all season.

If that does happen, it will have taken the best team of the Premier League era to beat them, and the Reds have pushed City all the way.

Manchester City have won 31 of their 37 league games so far; Liverpool have won 29 with only one defeat

'One of my top three goals of the season'

The top two have had a titanic battle all season, so it is fitting that it will be decided on the final day when City travel to Brighton and Liverpool host Wolves.

The standard of football they have shown us has been phenomenal, even when the pressure was on.

I thought that might change once we got to the final few weeks of the season but both teams have kept on delivering, and in style too.

If City beat Brighton, they will have won their final 14 league games, while if Liverpool overcome Wolves they will have managed nine in a row.

We have never seen two teams finish with more than 90 points before, and that shows the level where they are both operating.

Jurgen Klopp's side showed what they were made of with their late win at Newcastle on Saturday, but City responded with one of the most memorable moments of the entire campaign when they faced Leicester two days later.

They were having an off-night against the Foxes, and there was something missing from their game.

I was watching, like the rest of the country, thinking it would take something very special to get them the three points, and it turned out that is exactly what they got from their captain.

What a hit that was from Vincent Kompany for the winner and, because of the importance of his goal, it will certainly be in my top three for the season.

I was out of my seat when it flew in and I found it funny when I heard Sergio Aguero say afterwards he had told him not to shoot, because I was saying exactly the same thing.

But Kompany took responsibility, at the precise time that City needed their big players and characters to step up.

I scored a few myself from that range, and you just get a feeling sometimes when you think 'why shouldn't I have a pop?'

They don't go in most of the time but sometimes they do, and that could turn out to be the goal that sees City go on to win the title.

'Neither team deserves to finish second'

Monday's win took City back to the top of the Premier League as the lead changed hands for the 32nd time this season.

They way it happened must have been a kick in the teeth for Liverpool before the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, but they did not show it.

With Barca leading 3-0 from the first leg, nobody gave Liverpool a chance and understandably so.

Before the game I was asked about how harsh it would be on Liverpool if they were to end their season empty-handed and my reply was that they are such a talented team that they are not going to go away.

They proved that again with the way they fought back to win the tie with an incredible performance that demonstrated the hunger, desire and will to win we have seen from them all season.

It was one of the best games I have ever seen, and I cannot think of a better atmosphere I have encountered either - people will still be talking about that for many years to come.

Liverpool obviously have a great chance of silverware now, and they will be favourites to beat Tottenham in the final.

But even if they do win nothing, there is no way you could call their season a failure, because of the massive improvement they have made and the entertainment they have given us - that is what they should be judged on.

It is unlucky that one of these two teams has to finish second in the Premier League, because neither Liverpool nor City deserve that.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.