Premier League: Title race on a knife-edge
Liverpool's Darwin Nunez celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Europa League round of 16 first leg match against Sparta Praha at the Epet Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. Picture: AP Photo/Petr David Josek
THE three-way race for the title comes to a critical juncture with table-toppers, at the point of writing, Liverpool hosting second-place Man City on Sunday. With Arsenal, who may be top themselves should they manage to beat Brentford this evening, being keen watchers of what will play out in Anfield tomorrow.
City have dominated the Premier League for the past decade, winning five of the last six titles, and vying for their fourth crown in a row should they successfully retain their crown come May. But while they have run supreme in the league arguably Liverpool have been the only team to be a thorn in their side over this period, and the only side to interrupt their run of league titles with the Merseyside’s league triumph in in 2020. A small indent in City’s hegemony of the English domestic game. And there is one space during this time where Liverpool have dominated proceedings and that is at Anfield.
In the days before oil money was flushing its way through the Eastlands of Manchester, the Liverpool win ratio was very healthy against their neighbours in blue in the city to their east. And while the balance in the last 20 years has been redressed, Man City still find a visit to Anfield one of, if not the most difficult places to claim full league points on their visit.
It will be a surprise to many, as it was for me, to learn that City have claimed only a single league win in Anfield since way back in 2003. And that was a 4-0 drubbing of the Reds in July 2020. But that result comes with a big asterisks, as it came after Liverpool had already secured their first league title in 30-years and many of the Liverpool players looked to be carrying significant hangovers from their early celebrations.
In competitive encounters, Liverpool do remain difficult to overcome on their own patch. And tomorrow will be no different one suspects with so much at stake for both sides.
Nevertheless, City may never have a better chance of upsetting the Anfield cart than this weekend with the home side carrying more injuries than a fleet of ambulances.
Liverpool are currently without the services of Alisson Becker, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, due to injuries, while Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson have all made tentative returns to the first team after extended absences.
The goals of Darwin Nunez against Nottingham Forest and Sparta Prague, showing just how important returning talent can be for the club.
That Liverpool have managed to not only maintain their Premier League run and still win the Carabao Cup final and advance in the FA Cup is of great credit to the combination of Klopp’s Kids from the Academy and Caoimhin Kelleher in particular. The Cork keeper exemplifying his value even more in Liverpool’s 5-1 away triumph against a dangerous Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday.
Yet City must look to Sunday’s game as a great opportunity to put their foot on the throat of the challenge from a now inexperienced Liverpool side. With City looking to build on their comfortable and impressive victories over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday and in the derby against Man United on Sunday.
And while they are not suffering anywhere near the injury woes of their opponents tomorrow, they may well be without the services of Matheus Nunes due to a horrible hand injury he sustained against Copenhagen. The side’s only long-term injury being Jack Grealish, which some feel may be more to do with Grealish’s future in the club rather than a serious injury.
City have been their usual dynamic self in their turn of the year run for the title. After a faltering start they have been their usual lethally efficient self, benefitting greatly from the return from injury of Kevin de Bruyne. But they must make the most of this match and their next table-topping encounter against Arsenal straight after the international break next week.
If Liverpool can hold on at home it will be a big boost to their title hopes considering the absentees from the first team line-up. If City win they finally get their nose in front of Liverpool and Arsenal and who would bet against them then seeing out the rest of the season to claim yet another Premier League crown?
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