By Emmanuel Saka
The battle to end on top of the competition always turns fierce right at the end of the season. Especially, when it comes to the Premier League, the business end is not just about finishing atop the table.
Multiple battles shape up around the conclusion of the Premier League in England. From contenders for the league title to the battle for Champions League spots or settling for other European competitions, and the intense survival war against relegation. Premier League is one of the most followed soccer competitions for so many reasons.
It’s always a rollercoaster in the premier league, and the current standings, plus the remaining fixtures say a lot about the thrill and the excitement that is to come in the last days of this season.
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Interesting Propositions for Premier League Teams
With the conclusion of Saturday’s Premier League lunchtime kick-offs, taking away one of the Gunners’ very balanced last 10 fixtures, with five teams from either half of the table, four now from the bottom half.
Manchester City’s Home-Coming
Manchester City have a fair share of home games against the traditional top six left to play, now having to play Chelsea and even Arsenal to play at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal Wary of Anfield Trip
Not to forget, Arsenal still have a trip to Anfield, a ground where they haven’t picked a premier league point since January 2016. They haven’t won since a double by Robin van Persie sealed a huge come-from-behind win in 2012, a game Mikel Arteta himself started.
But it’s been fair to say Arsenal have overcome quite reasonable challenges that have proved daunting tasks in recent seasons, to be where they are at this point in the season.
Despite Liverpool’s Anfield reputation, Arsenal might secure what could eventually be a title-winning three points. There is a very high possibility of that happening.
Starting from the win at Palace on the opening weekend. The Selhurst Park and Palace used to be a tough one for the Gunners but walked over in two legs this season, 6-1 on aggregate.
They’ve completed the double over their North London rivals, Tottenham, their first since 2013/14, in the process winning their first game at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
They also beat Liverpool in the reverse fixture, something they had not done in the league since a scrappy 2-1 win at the Emirates against a Jürgen Klopp side who had already won the league title in 2020.
It’s an improved Arsenal team with a different tough mindset from years past, and be it a win at Liverpool’s Anfield, or even at City’s Etihad, none can be written off at this point this season.
Arsenal or City: Who’ll Earn Premier League Glory?
However, the fact that Arsenal still have a trip to both Anfield and Etihad will give Pep Guardiola a little bit of security in the title run and Arsenal have played one more game than their title rivals. Nevertheless, no Premier League game is worth three points until it’s won.
But a comprehensive 4-1 win for each side against Leeds (for Arsenal) and Liverpool (for City) shows how competitive the final run in of this season will be. And a lot of similarities in both of their fixtures make it mouthwatering. It will be interesting to see how they fare with their points at the end of April with Arsenal not having cup commitments, unlike City. It’s definitely going to be exciting.
Battle for Survival Heats Up
Crystal Palace have the easiest fixtures heading into the run-in as per the difficulty ranking. Of their nine games left now, just two will come against teams in the top half of the table.
They are currently placed 12th on the log but on a horrible run. One win today across all competitions since the turn of the year, the appointment of veteran Roy Hodgson after parting ways with French manager, Patrick Vieira on Saint Patrick’s day, just before their trip to the Emirates could maybe light up good vibes at Selhurst Park.
Brentford have the toughest fixture in the run-in, they’ll need to be at their very best consistently to stand any chance of achieving their European ambition.
The good news is, they haven’t fared too badly against these teams in the reverse fixture so they’ll want to continue the good run, which made them have the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League before the loss to Everton a few games before the international break.
What Manchester United are Up To?
Premier League Run-In
This is the Premier League run-in and without a doubt, an interesting finale is set at every point of the table.
A two-way battle for the league means five to six teams battling for two Champions League spots. The battle to finish in the top half and that of survival. What more could be there if that isn’t?
This is the Premier League and that is why it remains the most prophesied league in the world. We’ll be here to see what happens after the end of the games on the 28th of May.
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