Manchester City and Liverpool have slugged it out in one of the most gripping English Premier League football title races of all time, going toe to toe in a monumental battle for the ages.
But it will all be decided tomorrow when City travel to Brighton and Liverpool host Wolves, with Pep Guardiola’s team firm favourites to get over the line ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s charging team. The bare statistics from both sides this season are phenomenal.
City, on 95 points, have won their past 13 English Premier League matches to wipe out a seven-point lead for Liverpool and are on the brink of becoming the first team to retain the title since Manchester United in 2009.
Klopp’s men, with 94 points, have recovered from a mid-season stumble to record eight straight victories and are agonisingly close to their first English top-flight title since 1990.
The 18-time league winners face the scarcely credible scenario of ending the season with the third-highest points tally in Premier League history and a single defeat yet still missing out on the title. City look almost certain to finish off the job on the south coast but Guardiola, speaking after a nervy 1-0 win against Leicester on Monday, is taking nothing for granted.
“The players are mature, and we have one more game,” said Guardiola. “It will be tough in Brighton. They took a result at Arsenal. We played a few weeks ago against them (in the FA Cup semi-final) and it was tough.
“They will play for pride but it’s in our hands. We were seven points behind but we never give up. We are still there and we win 13 games in a row.”
City cannot quite match the record 100 points they mustered last season but they have shown their ability to dig deep in recent weeks. Guardiola’s side have been free-scoring for the majority of the campaign, racking up 91 goals, but three of their past four wins have been 1-0 victories.
A second consecutive title for the club, who remain on course for a historic domestic treble, would underline their status as the dominant force in the English game.
“We will again try to collect the bones and go again against Wolves,” said Klopp who hopes to have Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson fit for tomorrow’s Premier League finale against Wolves as the Reds aim to end a 29-year wait to win the title.
Klopp’s men trail Manchester City by one point at the top of the table and need the champions’ 13-game winning run to come to an end at Brighton if they are to win the league.
Liverpool are in high spirits after a stunning 4-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday booked their place in a second consecutive Champions League final.
Klopp confirmed Roberto Firmino remains out with a groin tear as Wolves visit Anfield. Klopp said he hopes the Brazilian will be ready for the Champions League final against Tottenham on June 1.
English Premiership Fixtures (all 4pm)
Tomorrow: Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers; Fulham v Newcastle United; Leicester City v Chelsea; Manchester United v Cardiff City; Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth; Southampton v Huddersfield Town; Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City; Tottenham Hotspur v Everton; Burnley v Arsenal; Watford v West Ham United.
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