Pressure on Chelsea as they face table-topping Man City

LONDON: The fixture schedule has been kind on Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur this weekend with both clubs having the opportunity to put the squeeze on Chelsea in the battle to finish the season in the Premier League’s top four.

Antonio Conte’s outgoing champions look vulnerable in fifth place and by the time they kick off against runaway leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, a worrying gap could have opened up immediately above them.

Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool take on Newcastle United tomorrow after fourthplaced Tottenham, in equally impressive form, host Huddersfield Town at Wembley.

Should they both win Liverpool would have 60 points, temporarily going ahead of Manchester United into second, and Tottenham would have 58. Chelsea have 53.

United are at injury-hit Crystal Palace on Monday when victory would give them 62 points.

So the pressure could be on Chelsea when they take on a City side playing their second game in four days after they faced sixth-placed Arsenal yesterday.

Such has been the dominance of Pep Guardiola’s side this season that the greater interest is now on which of the top six will be frozen out of the top four come May 13 and who will avoid the trapdoor at the other end of the table.

While Liverpool and Tottenham should have little trouble recording home wins – the fact Newcastle and Huddersfield are fighting for their top-flight lives should not be taken lightly.

Newcastle are on a fourmatch unbeaten run including a win over Manchester United while Huddersfield won their last two games to nudge out of the relegation zone.

Huddersfield are 14th and Newcastle 15th with 30 and 29 points respectively with thirdfrom-bottom Swansea on 27, the same as Crystal Palace and Southampton above them.

So compact is the bottom of the table that the relegation places are in a constant state of flux.