Table of Contents
With nine matches left, the Premier League title is up for grabs as the top-three title contender spots altered following yesterday’s matches. Liverpool FC are now favorites for the acclaimed Premier League title as they advance to the top spot after beating Brighton and Hove Albion FC 2-1 yesterday.
Before Liverpool’s victory, Arsenal held the top spot in the Premier League before ending yesterday’s highly anticipated game against Manchester City in a goalless draw. Yesterday’s Manchester City vs. Arsenal game ended in shock as neither team clinched a goal. It marked the first time since 2015 that City lost a home game at Etihad Stadium against Arsenal.
Additionally, yesterday was the first time in 58 matches that City failed to score at Etihad Stadium. Both teams were hoping for a win yesterday but only amassed one point due to the goalless draw.
With nine matches left in the Premier League season, let’s look at what is left for each football club and who has a better chance of clinching the Premier League title.
What’s left for each team in the race for the Premier League title?
All three clubs are set to face Tottenham Hotspur one after the other. Tottenham will likely give each club a run for their money as the football club is ranked fifth in the Premier League and poses a threat that can alter the current top-three standings.
While Liverpool FC holds the No. 1 spot in the league, the club has the most demanding schedule ahead of them compared to Arsenal and Manchester City’s final nine matches.
All three clubs still have their respective European competitions that they need to compete in, in addition to their demanding Premier League schedules.
Liverpool’s remaining schedule:
- April 4, against Sheffield United
- April 7, at Manchester United
- April 14, against Crystal Palace
- April 21, at Fulham
- April 24, at Everton
- April 27, at West Ham
- May 4, against Tottenham Hotspur
- May 11, at Aston Villa
- May 19, against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Throughout their remaining matches this season, Liverpool is set to face the football clubs ranked from fourth to seventh in the Premier League.
Liverpool will play Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and West Ham, which will be matches full of challenges as the four respective clubs have been successful this season.
Liverpool’s back-to-back matches against Tottenham Hotspur on May 4 and Aston Villa on May 11 will test the club’s strength as Tottenham is currently in fifth place for the Premier League title and Aston Villa in fourth.
While Liverpool has the most challenging Premier League schedule, the club will have three matches against teams in the bottom half of the Premier League rankings. Liverpool will face No. 20 Sheffield United on April 4, No. 14 Crystal Palace on April 14, and No. 16 Everton on April 24.
After falling out of the FA Cup Quarter-finals, Liverpool remains in the Europa League Quarter-final.
Following their match against No. 6 Manchester United, Liverpool is set to face Atalanta BC on April 11 in the first leg of the Europa League Quarter-final. On April 18, Liverpool is competing in the second leg of the Europa League Quarter-final, and if all goes well, the club will advance to the Semi-final, adding more matches into the final weeks of their season.
With the addition of these European competition matches comes the likelihood of more fatigued players and more injuries to valuable players.
Will Liverpool overcome their demanding schedule, or will these matches come at the cost of the first spot in the Premier League title race?
Arsenal’s remaining schedule:
- April 3, against Luton Town
- April 6, at Brighton and Hove Albion
- April 14, against Aston Villa
- April 20, at Wolverhampton Wanderers
- April 23, against Chelsea
- April 28, at Tottenham Hotspur
- May 4, against Bournemouth
- May 11, at Manchester United
- May 19, against Everton
While Arsenal’s remaining schedule this season is not easy, the club’s schedule is not as challenging and demanding as Liverpool’s.
While Liverpool is set to face four clubs ranked from fourth to seventh, Arsenal only needs to compete against three in their remaining games. Arsenal will face No. 4 Aston Villa on April 14, No. 5 Tottenham Hotspur on April 28, and No. 6 Manchester United on May 11.
Arsenal is set to take on four mid-ranked teams as they compete against Brighton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chelsea, and Bournemouth. This is where it will be challenging for the Gunners to clinch their spot or advance to the top spot as they will face more mid-ranked teams than Liverpool.
Arsenal will face two low-ranked teams competing against No. 18 Luton Town on April 3 and No. 16 Everton on May 19.
While the Gunners schedule has a decent amount of mid-ranked teams, they only face three top-seven teams.
Arsenal’s Premier League schedule may not be as demanding as Liverpool’s. Still, the Gunners remain in contention for the UEFA Champions League title as they compete in the first leg of the Quarter-final on April 9 against Bayern Munich. Their second leg of the UEFA Quarter-final is on April 17 and follows their match against No. 4 Aston Villa.
The Gunners have a match three days before and three days after the second leg of the Quarter-final, increasing the chances of player fatigue and injuries that could interfere with Arsenal’s chances at the Premier League title.
Manchester City’s remaining schedule:
- April 3, against Aston Villa
- April 6, at Crystal Palace
- April 13, against Luton Town
- April 25, at Brighton and Hove Albion
- April 28, at Nottingham Forest
- May 4, against Wolverhampton Wanderers
- May 11, at Fulham
- May 19, against West Ham
- TBD at Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City has the least demanding schedule out of the top-three title contenders; they have a relatively balanced schedule of high, mid, and low-ranked teams.
City only faces three top-seven and three low-ranked clubs in their final nine season matches.
Their most challenging match will be when City faces No. 4 Aston Villa this Wednesday. Aston Villa can easily give Manchester City a run for their money, and alter their fate in the quest for the Premier League title.
After their match against Aston Villa, City will face No. 14 Crystal Palace on April 6, No. 18 Luton Town on April 13, and No. 17 Nottingham Forest on April 28, seemingly securing them more points in their quest for the Premier League title.
While Manchester City has a less demanding Premier League schedule than their rivals, the football club advanced to the FA Cup Semi-finals and is competing in the Quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.
City is set to face Real Madrid on April 9 and April 17 for the first and second leg of the UEFA Quarter-final. Following the second leg of the UEFA Quarter-final, Manchester City will face Chelsea on April 20 for the FA Cup Semi-finals.
Manchester City might have a more manageable Premier League schedule, but the competitions that the club is competing in will add another layer of difficulties for the football club. City already has the most significant gap to close out of the top-three title contenders as they are currently No. 3, and the added pressure and risk of fatigue and injury will make their quest for the Premier League title even more difficult.
Who is projected to clinch the Premier League title?
At the moment, Liverpool seems to be the projected winner of the Premier League title. Liverpool does not have the added pressure of European competitions in the same manner as Arsenal and Manchester City.
Additionally, Liverpool’s star player, Mohamed Salah, is back following a hamstring injury, and he should soon be competing to the best of his abilities.
While City has the most manageable Premier League schedule, the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League competition will spread the football club thin throughout the remainder of the season.
