Isx shifting gear
AFTER 22 matches, it seems the Premier League title will be decided between leaders Liverpool and champions Manchester City. The attention and excitement has now shifted to the best of the rest after Tottenham slipped up at home against Manchester United.
Between third and sixth place, it’s all becoming quite congested as only two clubs can fill the Champions League spots that four clubs are aiming for.
Manchester United have really picked up their season dramatically after the departure of Jose Mourinho. They haven’t lost a match since then and continued their excellent form at Tottenham.
With the form they’re in, hosting Brighton on Saturday should be a routine victory as they’re now level on points with 5th-placed Arsenal.
The Gunners are only ahead by two goals and could find themselves outside the Top 5 at the end of the weekend.
After losing at the London Stadium to West Ham United last week, Unai Emery’s men have to find some kind of inspiration to prepare themselves for the visit of Chelsea. The Blues travel to the Emirates Stadium late on Saturday afternoon hoping to put distance between them and their fellow Londoners. But playing without a recognised striker could come back and haunt them. The record for this fixture is almost neck and neck with Arsenal edging Chelsea in terms of wins by just one match.
Tottenham are just a point ahead of Chelsea in third place and haven’t drawn a match in the league this season. They’ve lost ground from the summit of the table by losing two of their last three matches and the team look tired. Spurs travel to the banks of the Thames on Sunday afternoon for another London derby with Fulham.
At the top of the table, Liverpool maintained a lead with a 1-0 win against Brighton last week. Although it has to be mentioned that Mo Salah has recently been going down in the box rather easily to convince the official to give him a penalty. If anything, the hosts deserved a draw from the match at the Amex Stadium.
The league leaders host Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon and will have Manchester City at the back of their minds during every fixture from here on out. The Citizens are only in action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Huddersfield Town, who have just parted ways with manager David Wagner. The hosts are last on the Premier League table and could not have asked for more difficult opponents than the champions. Only four points separate Liverpool from Manchester City and you can be certain that every fixture from now until the end of the season will be treated as a cup final from the Merseysiders. City already have the experience of winning a league title and know what it entails. Liverpool, on the other hand, are in new territory and could buckle under the pressure. It should be a fantastic show.