English Premier League: Man City top with win as Liverpool, Arsenal drop points – is it Pep Guardiola’s title to lose?
- Crystal Palace and Aston Villa claim surprise away wins to shake up the race and give the reigning champions the advantage
- With six games remaining for each contender, we take a look at the run-ins and where the potential slip-ups could come
It was a pivotal weekend in the English Premier League title race, with Manchester City taking a giant stride towards winning the trophy for an unprecedented fourth season in a row.
Their thumping 5-1 victory over struggling Luton Town was followed up by Liverpool and Arsenal suffering shock home defeats the following day to Crystal Palace and Aston Villa respectively.
It means the reigning champions have overtaken their title rivals to move two points clear with six matches remaining.
Over recent seasons, Pep Guardiola’s side have made a habit of embarking on late winning runs to overhaul their rivals – but until recently, they had been scraping past teams and dropped points against both Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, as we enter the home straight, City are out in front. So who is lying in wait for the three title contenders?
Is Liverpool’s run-in the toughest?
3rd, 71 points (goal difference +41)
On paper, Jurgen Klopp’s side have the tougher run-in. Their next three matches are all away from Anfield. Next up they travel to Fulham before their shortest trip of the campaign as they visit neighbours Everton, who would love nothing more than to end their rivals’ title bid.
Their final match in April is a return to London to face West Ham United, before welcoming Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur and a visit to fellow top-four club Villa.
Klopp’s final Premier League match is at Anfield against Wolves, who incidentally have been the final-day opponents for the Premier League runners-up in each of the past three seasons.
Can Arsenal sustain it this time?
2nd, 71 points (GD +49)
It was at this stage last season when the wheels came off the Gunners’ title bid as they suffered three successive draws and a humbling defeat at City in April.
This time, though, they are determined to take the race right until the end. They must overcome Wolves away in their next encounter first, before a hot London derby as Chelsea visit the Emirates.
Then comes arguably the hardest match in their run-in as they go to north London neighbours Tottenham at the end of April before hosting Bournemouth.
They end the season with a visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United before welcoming Everton, whom they beat to seal their first title of the Premier League era in 1998, on the final day of the campaign.
Banana skins for Manchester City?
1st, 73 points (GD +44)
Billed by many as the side with the easiest run-in, can anyone stop Guardiola’s side?
They have a week off from Premier League action because they have an FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, but then face back-to-back away trips to Brighton and Nottingham Forest – two venues they dropped points at last campaign.
City then welcome Wolves before a trip to Fulham and then visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they have yet to win in the Premier League, to face Spurs. It is worth noting, however, that they did finally get the monkey off their back with a 1-0 victory there in the FA Cup earlier this season.
They end the campaign with the visit of West Ham, the club they beat on the final day to seal their second Premier League title 10 years ago.
