MY ACCOUNT
It looks set to be one of the most thrilling Premier League title races in recent memory, with just one point separating Manchester City and Liverpool heading into the final two months of the season.
Reigning champions City have been in the box seat to retain their title for much of the campaign.
But despite being at one stage 14 points ahead of their rivals in the standings, they now sit just one clear of the Reds, with the momentum appearing to be firmly with the team from Merseyside.
Pep Guardiola’s side may even find themselves in second place by the time they next take to the field as they will visit Burnley in a 3pm kick-off on April 2, with Liverpool hosting Watford in the lunchtime fixture on the same day.
There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns in the title race between now and the end of the season but which of the two contenders has the more favourable schedule during the run-in?
Title decider on April 10?
Liverpool have won nine Premier League matches in a row and lost just one of the 19 fixtures they have played across all competitions in 2022, so Jurgen Klopp’s side should have no problems swatting aside the Hornets after the international break.
City should also dispatch the Clarets in their next fixture as they are unbeaten in their last 14 meetings with Sean Dyche’s men, of which 13 have ended in victory.
That means the status quo should remain the same heading into the potential title decider between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium on April 10.
City have had the better of recent meetings, losing just one of the last eight clashes, while you have to go back nearly seven years for Liverpool’s last domestic victory at the Etihad.
European headaches
There will be plenty of variables for both sides to contend with heading into next month’s heavyweight showdown as the fixture will come in the middle of their respective Champions League quarter-final ties.
Liverpool will be in Lisbon for the first leg of their quarter-final meeting with Benfica, five days prior to their trip to the Etihad.
City meanwhile will host Atletico Madrid on the same night, with the second legs of those ties both scheduled to be contested three days after the top-of-the-table tussle in Manchester.
Guardiola and Klopp will face a balancing act when it comes to selecting their line-ups for those fixtures and it will be interesting to see where their priorities lie.
To add further fuel to the fire, the two teams will also meet in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley a week after their Premier League clash.
City facing favourable run-in
Following their league encounter at the Etihad, the two teams will have seven top-flight fixtures remaining, with City’s run-in looking the more favourable.
The Citizens’ four league matches immediately after facing Liverpool will all be against sides in the current bottom eight of the standings, while they are also due to face two teams that may have very little to play for come the final weeks of the season in Wolves and Aston Villa.
The toughest game on paper appears to be their trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham on the penultimate weekend of the season but with the Hammers going well in the Europa League, their focus could perhaps be elsewhere.
The big games will keep on coming for Liverpool, as immediately after taking on City in the FA Cup they will face derby matches against both Manchester United and Everton at Anfield.
Survive those fixtures and Klopp’s men also have a home clash with Tottenham on the horizon, while trips to Newcastle and Southampton could also prove potential banana skins for the Reds, who may ultimately come up short in their title pursuit.
