EPL title race won’t end until May 10 with Arsenal triumph now a possibility

ARSENAL have emerged as serious title contenders after four points ahead of Liverpool.

The Gunners recorded their twelfth win of the season with a 2-1 victory over rivals Tottenham on Wednesday.

And it means the race for top spot in the Premier League will not be decided until Arsenal take on Liverpool in a crucial match on May 10.

Arne Slot's men have shown they may not be able to claw their way to the title after drawing four games in the last six weeks.

Indeed, there are plenty of reasons for Gunners fans to be positive about their season after finishing narrowly behind Manchester City in the last two years.

Here, SunSport's Anthony Chapman looks at why it could finally be time for Arsenal to end their Premier League title drought…

LIVERPOOL'S HEAVY RAID

ARSENAL and Liverpool face each other on May 10 in what will be their third final match of the Premier League season.

However, the quality of the opponents in the other remaining games varies greatly.

Before Arsenal head to Anfield, they have home games against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth to look forward to.

This will be followed by a difficult home test against a resurgent Newcastle team.

But the Gunners end their season with a trip to bottom-placed Southampton, which should be an easy win.

As for Liverpool, the last two games are away to Brighton and at home against Crystal Palace.

But before Arsenal, Liverpool first welcomes Tottenham to Anfield.

They then travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea.

And the tough slate of games could take its toll on several aging stars.

MINI TABLE OF JOY

BOTH teams have played just eight of the exact same games this season.

But it is Arsenal who come out on top in a mini-league.

The Gunners have won six of those eight games, while drawing one and losing one.

As for Liverpool, they have won five of the same eight, drawn two and also lost one.

Arsenal scored 21 goals in those games, while Liverpool scored another for 22.

But the Reds also conceded more goals, eleven of which went to Arsenal's seven.

REDS CONTRACT DISPUTES

LIVERPOOL are on a roll this season, with key figures Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all playing important roles under Slot.

However, the trio has also had to deal with an additional story about their future.

Each star is out of contract this summer, and none appear close to an extension.

Van Dijk has remained tight-lipped about his future, while Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid.

As for Salah, he has already stated that this will be his last season at Anfield.

Foreign clubs can now conclude pre-contract agreements with all three players, while manager Slot waits anxiously.

And it's just another major headache for Liverpool to deal with as they focus on their football and results too.

ARSENAL'S LUCK

ARSENAL will certainly be in for a bit of luck this season.

The Gunners have been hit by multiple injuries, with key figures such as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard missing parts of the season.

Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu were big misses in defense.

While Gabriel Jesus has become the latest victim after picking up an ACL problem.

It means things can only get better for Arsenal as more and more players return to action.

As for Liverpool, they have been fortunate to keep their main men fit while also playing in the Champions League.

And starting the same players multiple times a week could come back to haunt Slot later.

Arsenal fans also feel like they are on the receiving end of some dodgy refereeing decisions.

And things could level out for Mikel Arteta in the second half of the season.

CITY PARTY POOPERS

A fifth title in a row may seem out of reach for Man City at the moment.

But the champions will certainly have a big say in this season's race, even if they're not there.

Pep Guardiola's men have consistently ruffled the feathers of both Arsenal and Liverpool over the years.

And their dismal form will surely end this term soon.

City had already been defeated by Liverpool, but managed to secure a draw against Arsenal.

But the Gunners' next match against City is at home.

It is sandwiched between a Champions League group match against Girona, which they should win comfortably.

On the other hand, the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final is in Newcastle, where they are already 2-0 down and may be happy with a weakened XI.

However, Liverpool face a different story as they head to the Etihad for their City match.

Furthermore, the match is sandwiched between two crucial Premier League games against Wolves and Newcastle – both of which will be must-wins in Slot's eyes.

City have also lost one title race to Liverpool in the past and may view them as a bigger threat to their long-term dominance.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *