LONDON, April 26, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Manchester City and Liverpool are
showing no signs of letting up in their thrilling Premier League title race
but their flawless form contrasts sharply with the struggles of the teams
chasing a top-four finish.
Manchester United host Chelsea on Sunday hoping to arrest an alarming slide
of seven defeats in nine games in all competitions.
But it is only thanks to the poor form of Maurizio Sarri’s men and Arsenal,
who have suffered back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Wolves,
that United remain in the hunt for Champions League football next season,
just three points off the top four.
United’s latest defeat to City on Wednesday lifted the defending champions
one point ahead of Liverpool with three games left for both sides.
That stretched City’s winning streak in the league to 11 games, with the
last slip-up by either of the title contenders remarkably now nearly two
months ago, when Liverpool were held at Everton.
Liverpool have already surpassed their club-record points tally in the
Premier League era, with 88, and Jurgen Klopp’s side are expected to retake
top spot when already relegated Huddersfield visit Anfield on Friday.
“Now it’s clear we are one point behind City and we knew for a long time if
we win our next two games then the decision will be made in the last
matchday, and that’s quite special,” said Klopp on Thursday.
City are not in action until Sunday, when they travel to Burnley, and
manager Pep Guardiola is wary of his side getting too over-excited at
clearing what was expected to be the toughest hurdle left at Old Trafford on
Wednesday.
“I know people are going to talk about how beautiful we are, how handsome
we are,” said Guardiola. “But now we have to go to Burnley — and in my two
previous seasons going to Burnley was incredibly tough.”
City, who amassed a record haul of 100 points last season, still dropped
two at Turf Moor in a 1-1 draw.
– Solskjaer seeks goals –
Behind the top two, Tottenham look well set to secure a fourth straight
season of Champions League football, opening up a four-point gap on fifth-
placed Arsenal thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton on Tuesday.
Spurs can widen that lead over their north London rivals even further when
West Ham travel to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday hoping to
become the first visiting team to score at the fifth time of asking in the
club’s new home.
Arsenal could then move into the top four early on Sunday if they can cure
their travel sickness and shore up a dismal defensive record at Leicester.
A point would be enough to edge Unai Emery’s men above Chelsea on goal
difference before Sarri’s team kick off at Old Trafford, where United will
aim to end a near nine-hour drought without scoring from open play.
“We need more quality on Sunday,” admitted United boss Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer.
“Of course we want to get into the top four. I haven’t been planning on
playing on Thursday nights (in the Europa League) yet. We just have to make
sure we give ourselves a chance on Sunday.”
– Battle for seventh and survival –
The prospect of Europa League football may not be enticing for Solskjaer
but Watford, Wolves, Everton and Leicester are all showing their appetite for
European football with seventh enough for Europa League qualification if City
beat Watford in the FA Cup final.
Wolves are in pole position and travel to Watford on Saturday seeking
revenge for their FA Cup semi-final collapse after blowing a 2-0 lead in the
final 11 minutes.
And it is a huge weekend for Cardiff’s chances of catching Brighton and
avoiding relegation.
The Welsh side, third from bottom, trail Brighton by three points and have
an inferior goal difference, but travel to already relegated Fulham before
Brighton, who have not scored for seven games, host Newcastle later on
Saturday.
Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Liverpool v Huddersfield (1900)
Saturday
Tottenham v West Ham (1130), Crystal Palace v Everton, Fulham v Cardiff,
Southampton v Bournemouth, Watford v Wolves, Brighton v Newcastle (1630)
Sunday
Leicester v Arsenal (1100), Burnley v Manchester City (1305), Manchester
United v Chelsea (1530)