Liverpool and Manchester City’s draw on Sunday left the Premier League title race poised for a thrilling last 10 matches. (More Football News)
Leaders Arsenal and second-placed Liverpool are level on points, with City one behind and here, the PA news agency looks at how the battle is shaping up.
Deja vu
City have won five of the last six titles, a run only interrupted by Liverpool’s 2019-20 triumph.
There are strong echoes of the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, which both saw City champions by a single point ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
Liverpool finished the former season on a nine-match winning run to push City all the way, only for Pep Guardiola’s men to win their last 14 to stay ahead.
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City won nine and drew three of their last 12 in 2021-22 to hold off a Liverpool side who won 16 and drew two of their last 18, including a 1-1 draw between the two rivals.
That scoreline has been repeated in both this season’s meetings – and with Klopp leaving his post in the summer, that sees his Premier League head-to-head with Guardiola finish six wins to five in Klopp’s favour with seven draws. City have scored 32 goals to Liverpool’s 27.
Both are flying again in the second half of this season, with City winning 10 and drawing three games since their last defeat at Aston Villa on December 6. Liverpool have won eight of their last 10 but could be left to rue Sunday’s draw and a defeat to Arsenal.
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A new player has entered the game
The difference this time around is the emergence of Mikel Arteta’s side, who made a game run at last season’s title before fading in the home stretch.
Since returning from this season’s winter break in Dubai they have won eight consecutive league games, scoring 33 goals and conceding four – which could be significant if it comes down to goal difference. Arsenal’s is currently seven better than Liverpool’s and 11 better than City’s as they are the league’s top scorers, with 70 goals, and also have the best defensive record with 24 conceded.
Last season a seven-match winning run from February took them eight points clear – having played a game more than City – but they won only three of their last nine and lost 4-1 to City along the way to finish five points behind.
Victory in the title battle would be Arsenal’s first since 2004 and they will need to channel the spirit of Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” – who went that full league season unbeaten – if they are to avoid a repeat of last season’s near miss.
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Up for grabs
The challengers have similar run-ins, with four opponents – Aston Villa, Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves – common to all three. Liverpool have Villa away but Spurs and Brighton at home, the inverse of City and Arsenal’s fixtures, while Wolves welcome Arsenal to Molineux but travel to City and Liverpool.
Tottenham’s visit on the weekend of April 27 stands out among Arsenal’s fixtures and Liverpool also face a derby, with a date to be confirmed for their trip to Everton. City have completed their engagements against local rivals Manchester United, who still have to play Liverpool and Arsenal at Old Trafford.
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Liverpool have bottom club Sheffield United still to play, while Arsenal and City both host 18th-placed Luton. The average current league position of Arsenal’s remaining opponents is 9.3, compared to 9.5 for City and 10.1 for Liverpool.
