The final international break is over. The remaining games are right there in front of them. The starting gun is about to be fired on another sprint to the line between Manchester City바카라 웹사이트and Liverpool in the Premier League. ()
Saturday marks the beginning of a six-week fight for the title between two teams that have dominated English soccer over the past five years and set a new bar when it comes to what's바카라 웹사이트required to win the league.
And here they are again, back as the top two and separated바카라 웹사이트by just one point with nine matches to go — one of which바카라 웹사이트sees them face each other in what could be the defining바카라 웹사이트match of the season.
City, the defending champion, holds the lead — as it has done바카라 웹사이트since the end of December — but an advantage that was as바카라 웹사이트large as 14 points in mid-January, when Liverpool had games바카라 웹사이트in hand, has shrunk to such an extent that Jurgen Klopp's바카라 웹사이트team might be some people's favorites.
Liverpool has fewer losses — two — and is on a nine-match바카라 웹사이트winning run in the league. Heading into April, Liverpool has바카라 웹사이트already won the League Cup and is still alive in the FA Cup바카라 웹사이트and the Champions League.
The unprecedented quadruple, amazingly, remains on.
“They are always there,” City manager Pep Guardiola said recently.바카라 웹사이트
“A pain ... all the time.”
Klopp surely feels the same about City.
After all, City has won three of the last four league titles —바카라 웹사이트 and five of the last 10 — and has pedigree in mounting strong바카라 웹사이트finishes. Their players know how to finish the job off.
Crucially, City has home advantage in its April 10 showdown바카라 웹사이트with Liverpool at Etihad Stadium. Avoid defeat and few would바카라 웹사이트be surprised if Guardiola's team wins its other matches.
It promises to be a riveting finale between two closely바카라 웹사이트matched teams. Here's a look at some of the big questions in the title race:바카라 웹사이트
WHO HAS THE BETTER SCHEDULE?
City, by a nose. Apart from the visit of Liverpool, City doesn't바카라 웹사이트play another team in the current top six. Its toughest other바카라 웹사이트match looks to be at West Ham on the next-to-last weekend. That comes three days before the final of the Europa League,바카라 웹사이트a competition West Ham is still involved in.바카라 웹사이트
City's last game is at home to Aston Villa, which is managed바카라 웹사이트by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard.바카라 웹사이트
Liverpool still has to play Manchester United and Tottenham,바카라 웹사이트though both of those games are at home. The Reds might바카라 웹사이트need to win all of their remaining league games, which —바카라 웹사이트given they are already on a nine-match winning run — would mark an unprecedented streak of top-flight victories.
WHO HAS THE STRONGER SQUAD?
바카라 웹사이트For the first time, it might be Liverpool. Certainly Klopp now바카라 웹사이트has the edge over Guardiola when it comes to attacking바카라 웹사이트options, with the January signing of Luis Diaz adding further바카라 웹사이트competition in a forward line that already includes Mohamed바카라 웹사이트Salah, Sadio Mané, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.바카라 웹사이트
The only weak spot appears to be a backup to Trent바카라 웹사이트Alexander-Arnold at right back, which could be significant as바카라 웹사이트he is currently out injured and could struggle to make the City바카라 웹사이트game.바카라 웹사이트
City has played this season without an out-and-out striker바카라 웹사이트and only Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling have reached바카라 웹사이트double figures in goals with 10 each. Three of the leading six바카라 웹사이트scorers in the league are Liverpool players: Salah (20), Jota
(13) and Mané (12).바카라 웹사이트
City's most important player during the run-in might be Rodri,바카라 웹사이트the defensive midfielder who is key to the balance of the team바카라 웹사이트and is far more reliable than his backup, the 36-year-old바카라 웹사이트ernandinho.
WILL OTHER COMPETITIONS GET IN THE WAY?
They could, especially the Champions League if City and바카라 웹사이트Liverpool go deep in Europe this season. They could even바카라 웹사이트potentially meet in the final in Paris in late May.
Liverpool has the easier path on paper, having drawn Benfica바카라 웹사이트in the quarterfinals before a possible semifinal meeting with바카라 웹사이트Villarreal or Bayern Munich. City must get past Atlético Madrid바카라 웹사이트before playing either Chelsea or Real Madrid in the semifinals.바카라 웹사이트
The fact that City and Liverpool also meet in the FA Cup바카라 웹사이트semifinals on April 16 adds another layer of intrigue.바카라 웹사이트
City's April schedule looks daunting — after Burnley away on바카라 웹사이트Saturday, it's Atlético-Liverpool-Atlético-Liverpool in an 11-day span. In that period, Liverpool has the double-header바카라 웹사이트against Benfica.바카라 웹사이트
The key moment in the title race could be the midweek game바카라 웹사이트that follows that four-match rush. Whereas City plays바카라 웹사이트Brighton at home on April 20, Liverpool will host a바카라 웹사이트Manchester United team that has only the league left to focus바카라 웹사이트on this season.
WHO IS THE FAVORITE ON APRIL 10?
City is at home and unbeaten in the teams' last four meetings. Liverpool has the momentum. It's a tough one to call and a바카라 웹사이트draw might be the best bet. That would suit City more,바카라 웹사이트keeping the destiny of the title in its hands, and Guardiola바카라 웹사이트has curbed his attacking instincts to set his team up more바카라 웹사이트compactly in the big games over the last two seasons.바카라 웹사이트
If, however, the match turns out being more chaotic,바카라 웹사이트Liverpool has the firepower to pull off victory. The availability바카라 웹사이트of Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool's most creative player despite바카라 웹사이트being a right back, could be key.
