MY ACCOUNT
Just when the key positions in the Premier League looked done and dusted, an exhilarating weekend has shaken things up at both the top and bottom.
Tottenham’s stunning 3-2 victory over Manchester City has handed Liverpool the chance to go within touching distance of the champions once again.
Meanwhile, unlikely victories for Burnley and Watford have thrown both sides right back into the mix for survival and dragged Norwich down to the foot of the table.
We take a closer look at the race for the title and the battle to avoid the drop.
City slip up
With City on a stunning run of 14 wins in 15 Premier League games and Spurs losing three on the bounce prior to kick-off, not many would have predicted what unfolded at the Etihad.
A textbook counter-attacking display saw Spurs leave Manchester with all three points thanks to a late Harry Kane winner.
After seeing their gap at the top reduced, City boss Pep Guardiola said: “I never said the title race was over. It’s normal. In January and February the teams at the bottom win their games because everyone fights for everything.
“It will be difficult. We know it. But it’s happened. We lost a game. We will recover with training sessions and prepare for the next game.”
With Spurs proving somewhat of a bogey team for City in recent years, there is no reason to suggest why it cannot be business as usual for the leaders going forward — starting at Everton next weekend.
But Saturday’s result is the lifeline Jurgen Klopp’s men have been waiting for and the pressure is now all on City as the Reds look to hunt them down.
Can the Reds catch them?
Just hours before the game at the Etihad, Liverpool came from behind in emphatic style against Norwich when eventually running out 3-1 winners.
It saw the Merseysiders continue their impeccable form since a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at the start of 2022 which had left them 11 points adrift of the leaders.
Since then, they have won all five of their Premier League games, scoring 12 goals and conceding just twice.
They are now just six points behind the Citizens — a gap they can reduce to three if they overcome Leeds in their game in hand on Wednesday.
And with Liverpool due to head to the Etihad on April 9, they really will fancy their chances if they can stay within arm’s length before that clash.
Burnley and Watford back to life
There was drama at the bottom too as Burnley stunned Brighton with a 3-0 away victory, while Watford secured a late 1-0 win at Aston Villa.
And despite briefly leading Liverpool at Anfield during a spirited display, Norwich’s eventual 3-1 defeat left them propping up the table once again.
It was just a second win of the season for the Clarets in an impressive showing inspired by January signing Wout Weghorst, who scored his first goal for his new club.
The Hornets’ first victory since November at Villa Park — thanks to an Emmanuel Dennis winner — will suddenly have them dreaming of an unlikely escape too after a resilient defensive display.
With Burnley and Watford working under two managers who have been in this situation plenty of times before in Sean Dyche and Roy Hodgson, it would be foolish to count them out just yet.
But that is not to say all hope is lost for Dean Smith, either.
Prior to difficult games against City and Liverpool, the Canaries had gone three games unbeaten — including a 3-0 win against Watford.
With a sizable gap separating those three and the rest, there is still plenty of work for all of them to do.
Should others be worried?
The teams floating above the bottom three spots will be concerned by the signs of life showing below them.
A resurgence in recent weeks has lifted Newcastle up the table but the likes of Brentford, Leeds and Everton all look in danger of falling the other way.
Leeds and Everton, in particular, have performed well below expectations this season but have shown in recent games that they are capable of putting together a run of form.
The same cannot be said of Brentford — despite being the highest-placed among those teams — after picking up just one point from their last 21 available.
And Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has had his say on the dramatic battle unfolding, naming the Bees as the team he fears for the most.
He said: “I don’t think Everton will go down but people are right to include them. I have enjoyed watching Brentford this season but I am worried for them.
“Dyche and Roy Hodgson are resilient and they have been around the block. They won’t panic and they know how to get shock results.
“This is what makes Watford and Burnley dangerous to the likes of Brentford, Leeds and Newcastle.”
Just seven points separate all those teams and each will face a relegation rival at least twice during the run-in.
Expect there to plenty more chopping and changing before the season’s end.
