Manchester City beat Luton 5-1 to go two points clear at the top of the Premier League (Darren Staples)
Manchester City hold the destiny of the Premier League title in their hands after Arsenal and Liverpool stumbled to shock defeats on Sunday.
Arsenal’s unbeaten league run in 2024 was ended by Aston Villa’s 2-0 win at the Emirates, while Liverpool were stunned 1-0 at home by Crystal Palace.
City, by contrast, cruised to a 5-1 win over Luton on Saturday to go two points clear with six games remaining.
AFP Sport looks at where each of the contenders stand and how their run-ins compare.
Manchester City – 73 points (+44 goal difference)
Pep Guardiola enjoyed a perfect weekend as City could even afford to rest a number of key players amid their gruelling schedule.
Rodri, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were among those left on the bench as lowly Luton were eased aside at the Etihad.
City will be pushed to their limit in the coming weeks as they aim to defend all of the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
But Guardiola’s men have proven their ability to be relentless on the title run-in and will expect to win the league now with a kind set of fixtures to come.
Fixtures to come:
April 25: Brighton (A)
April 28: Nottingham Forest (A)
May 4: Wolves (H)
May 11: Fulham (A)
May 14: Tottenham (A)
May 19: West Ham (H)
Arsenal – 71 points (+49)
Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to show they are a changed side from last season’s collapse down the final straight by bouncing back from a demoralising defeat.
The visit of Villa was a tricky fixture wedged between Arsenal’s two Champions League quarter-final ties with Bayern Munich and Unai Emery once again got the better of his former club.
The Gunners could ill-afford to drop points at the Emirates with tough away games still to come against local rivals Tottenham and Manchester United.
“We knew this moment could come. Now it is about reacting in the right way and keep believing,” said Arteta.
“If you want to win the Premier League and Champions League, you have to stand up.”
Fixtures to come:
April 20: Wolves (A)
April 23: Chelsea (H)
April 28: Tottenham (A)
May 4: Bournemouth (H)
May 11: Manchester United (A)
April 19: Everton (H)
Liverpool – 71 points (+41)
Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool is at risk of petering out after the exhausted Reds suffered a second home defeat in four days.
They was no reaction to a 3-0 humbling by Atalanta in the Europa League as the impact of an injury crisis earlier in the campaign appears to have worn down Klopp’s squad.
A run of three consecutive away games now awaits in the Premier League with local rivals Everton particularly keen to spoil Klopp’s leaving party.
Fixtures to come:
April 20: Fulham (A)
April 24: Everton (A)
April 27: West Ham (A)
May 5: Tottenham (H)
May 11: Aston Villa (A)
May 19: Wolves (H)
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