Advantage Man City, but remaining fixtures favor Liverpool

mANChesteR (Reuters) - manchester City has a onepoint advantage over rival liverpool going into the final six games of the premier league season, but a tougher set of fixtures means pep Guardiola’s side will have to be at its very best to defend its title.

liverpool’s home game with Chelsea on April 14 is its only meeting with a top-six team during the run-in and half of its games are against sides in the bottom five of the league, starting with a trip to 16th-place southampton on Friday. man City is in FA Cup semifinal action against Brighton on saturday.

should City, which has won its last eight games in the league and 21 of its last 22 over all competitions, extend that run until the end of the season it will win the title again.

Yet two of City’s fixtures stand out as absolutely crucial to deciding the outcome of what promises to be a thrilling battle.

“We have the feeling if we drop points we will not be champions,” said Guardiola.

City, which plays four of its last six away from home, hosts spurs at the etihad on April 20 - a game which comes after a two-legged Champions league quarterfinal between the pair.

then the manchester derby at old trafford on April 24 offers ole Gunnar solskjaer’s united side the chance to ruin the ambitions of its local rival.

It is such a tight race that even a normally acceptable result – a draw at manchester united – could be enough to tip the balance in favor of juergen Klopp’s side.

Yet there have rarely been title run-ins without some surprises. there is an argument that playing against teams scrapping desperately against relegation is tougher, at this stage of the campaign, than taking on mid-table sides with little to motivate them.

teams such as leicester, which City hosts in the penultimate game, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are at Anfield on the final day, have shown they are capable of upsetting the big boys.

Another factor is the Champions league – both clubs are in the quarterfinals and if one were to be eliminated, its workload would ease.

Whatever happens, there will be no shortage of drama between now and may 12.

this weekend, in the battle for Champions league qualification, meanwhile, fourth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Chelsea are level on 63 points.

Arsenal have a tricky trip to everton on sunday and Chelsea are at home to West ham on monday.

huddersfield town and Fulham are already relegated, with Cardiff City occupying the final relegation slot in 18th place, five points behind southampton, Burnley and Brighton.