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The Premier League is heading for a classic title race, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal set for a three-way battle as we enter the final weeks of the season.
Pep Guardiola’s side are aiming to win a fourth league title in a row – a feat that has never been achieved in the history of English football, and the title is now in their hands after both Liverpool and Arsenal slipped up at home on that fateful Sunday two weeks ago.
But it’s not over yet. With City in action in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, both Arsenal and Liverpool were left with two games to play before City’s next Premier League fixture. It’s a chance for Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta to put the pressure on.
Arsenal did their job, beating Wolves away and then thrashing Chelsea to move four points clear of Guardiola’s side. Liverpool go next in a midweek Merseyside derby, before City travel to Brighton.
So, with four weeks to go, which team has the best fixtures and who has the hardest run of games to end the season?
Here’s where the title could be won and lost…
Points: 77
GD: +56
Avg. opponents PpG: 1.47
Difficulty: ★★★★
What a difference a week makes. Arsenal have responded brilliantly to their defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and are full of belief once again despite that costly 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa earlier this month.
Mikel Arteta’s side have simply picked up where they left off, and a statement 5-0 thrashing of Chelsea sent a message that Arsenal are about to attack the run-in once more. Next, it’s Tottenham, and one of the biggest north London derbies in years.
Arsenal know that only wins will do but they are leading from the front and will also have the advantage of playing first when they host Bournemouth in early May. After that, it’s Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Arsenal still need City to drop points but they have rediscovered their form. It gives the Gunners a chance of pushing Pep Guardiola’s side to the end of the season. And look at that goal difference. Should City fall, Arsenal have a clear advantage over Liverpool if they remain level on points.
Points: 74
GD: +43
Avg. opponents PpG: 1.50
Difficulty: ★★★★
Liverpool stood eight wins from the title and with the Premier League in their hands, but they now require favours from elsewhere. A 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford was a blow, but a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace could prove fatal to Liverpool’s title chances.
The Reds have lost their advantage, but a 3-1 win away to Fulham means Jurgen Klopp’s Reds now have the chance to move four points ahead of Manchester City when they visit Everton and Goodison Park for a midweek Merseyside Derby – even though the champions would have two games in hand.
Liverpool have the trickiest final-three, and the other key clashes to look out for are those against sides chasing Champions League football. Liverpool face Tottenham at Anfield before a trip to Aston Villa on Monday night in the final week of the season, giving Liverpool a tough final trio of games in May when Wolves at home on the final day is also considered.
Having already won the Carabao Cup, the Reds were favourites to reach the Europa League final and the Dublin showpiece on 22 May. But a shock defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League leaves Klopp just the Premier League to fight for in his final few weeks in charge. A Manchester City-Arsenal Champions League semi-final could have distracted Liverpool’s title rivals, but that won’t happen after they were both knocked out of Europe on the same night.
Manchester City
Points: 73
GD: +44
Avg. opponents PpG: 1.37
Difficulty: ★★★
There will be no repeat of the treble, after City were knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Real Madrid, but the double is still on. Defeats for Liverpool and Arsenal last weekend left the champions in control of the title race, and now they have a favourable run ahead of them after hitting the front
City, after all, have been here before and their Premier League fixtures are looking more favourable now those games against Liverpool and Arsenal are out of the equation. It leaves a trip to Tottenham, where City have never won in the Premier League under Guardiola, as their toughest fixture of the run-in. The Gunners could do with a favour from their north London rivals, there.
That fixture will now be played in the final week of the season, after City reached another FA Cup final with victory over Chelsea. It could be a must-win match for Ange Postecoglou’s side, too, as Spurs aim to secure Champions League qualification. Tottenham will know what they need by then, too, after already facing Arsenal and Liverpool.
With their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on this weekend, City won’t be in Premier League action again until Thursday 25 April. As both Liverpool and Arsenal play twice in the title race before then, it could create the illusion of City playing catch-up. It gives Liverpool and Arsenal the chance to put the pressure on.
Source: independent.co.uk
