Three years ago, City beat Liverpool for the Premier League title by a point, and they will be favorites to do so again.
Since the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on 10 April, City have comfortably won their next three home games, scoring 13 goals.
The model book notes Liverpool’s victory over Wolverhampton at Anfield on Sunday. Since losing away to Leicester on December 28, Liverpool have not lost, winning 14 of their last 17 league games.
Should Liverpool win the title, Jurgen Klopp’s side have a chance to secure an unprecedented quadruple by beating Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28 at the Stade de France in Paris.
“We reached the final in everything we competed for,” Klopp said before Sunday’s game against Wolverhampton.
“Two domestic cups, the European Cup – and moving the Premier League to the last round is the equivalent of reaching the final. To say I am proud of our team and club is to say the least.”
With City trailing 2-1 in the 92nd minute but requiring a win over Queens Park Rangers to win their first English Premier League title in 44 years, Edin Dzeko equalized.
Then, at 93:20 in the final minute of the match, Aguero slashed his way through QPR’s defense and fired a winner to secure victory and clinch the 2011/12 Premier League.
Aguero’s goal has been immortalized in the form of a statue outside the Etihad Stadium, it was revealed earlier this month.
Fight to the end
Sunday’s game at the Federation has the potential to offer a lot of plot twists.
Aston Villa’s manager is former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard, who would surely love to help deliver a title to a club he couldn’t win as a player.
“It’s more difficult [to win the Premier League]”There are a lot of weeks, matches and struggles with injuries, bad moments and strong opponents,” Guardiola told City’s website.
“Success has been there all the time in the past five years, except for the year when Liverpool were unstoppable,” Guardiola added, referring to Klopp’s team winning the Premier League title in the 2019/2020 season.
“It’s every day, when you fight in the Premier League and you fight to the end, it gives you happiness. You are happier when you win.
“It’s not a cup, it’s a routine. Doing a chore is the most difficult of our lives.”
After 370 Premier League games this season, eight of Sunday’s 10 games have implications for the title, qualification for next season’s European competitions, or relegation to the Championship.
With Norwich City and Watford already relegated, Burnley must match Leeds United’s result to ensure the safety of the Premier League.
But if this season has taught us anything, expect the unexpected on both ends of the table.
According to Opta, this season is the first in the history of the competition where it is mathematically possible for each position to change going into the final round of matches.