At the moment, either Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta will lead his team to Premier League success. The other Premier League coaches are playing for their jobs, if not just to finish the season well; the Premier League crown is out of reach for them.
Even if Guardiola and his team have a chance to win the Premier League, they are not the favourites because they trail Arsenal by 8 points, which might be reduced to 5 if they win their game in hand. Man City is currently betting on Arsenal dropping points.
After both Manchester City and Arsenal won their games last weekend, the Premier League title fight has been stretched to this weekend to see who blinks first. This weekend’s games could determine who wins the Premier League. While many Arsenal sceptics see this weekend’s game against Liverpool at Anfield as a potential for them to drop points, those who know Manchester City play Southampton realise Manchester City is nearly guaranteed three points against the Saints.
All eyes have been on the Liverpool versus Arsenal game, which is unpredictable in its own way. While there isn’t much focus on Manchester City’s game against Southampton, Paul Merson believes the Citizens may shockingly drop points against the underrated Saints, arguing that the fact that they play Bayern Munich three days after their weekend fixtures may cause them to rest their key players, which could hurt their chances of winning.
“Manchester City have to play Bayern Munich in three days’ time, and they’ve got to rest some of their players,” Merson said on his Sportskeeda column. “We’ve seen it before—they’ve beaten Arsenal but then lost to Forest to bring Arsenal back in it. They’ve got to be careful here.”
Is a Manchester City draw or loss to Southampton and an Arsenal triumph at Anfield on the cards this weekend? If that happens, Arsenal would have practically won the race, since Manchester City dropping any points in the next few weeks might end their title hopes.
Sam P
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EPL game results are unpredictable. But I don’t think Man City will lose or draw against Soton, because Soton would most likely not be able to win the ball possession
Did Man City loose the ball possession in the 4 previous games they’ve lost?
Football is all about who takes his chances. If Man City waste their chances and Soton can take the very few chances they get, the unexpected can happen
Man City rarely wasted their chances
On the other hand, Soton’s finishing isn’t good. They made twelve shots in their last game away from home, but they were wasteful
Man City waste a lot of chances, if Haaland does not click all it takes a JWP’s freekick to get a point or 3 for Soton
Man City still have De Bruyne, Grealish, Gundogan, Foden, Alvarez and Mahrez to score
There is a reason the games have to be played. It’s pretty obvious that MC are favourites against virtually any opponent. However, favourites do not always win. Arsenal can’t do anything about MC’s games except when we play them. It is really silly to take a pundit’s opinion too seriously as they often have no more insight than the average fan,
Arsenal will beat Liverpool. Man City will beat Soton. Let’s do this again next round of fixtures. Cheers
Arsenal have many unpredictable scoring weapons to beat Liverpool.The issue is how they keep mentally strong.
The result against liverpool is all out of proportion depending on which way it goes. If arsenal defeat the odds and get a result, in reality it’s just a good result with a lot of games left to win. If we lose however, our lead is, in reality with the fixtures city have left, down to two points – with city to come. Not to mention overcoming the blow of losing such a big game – and the inevitable, glee driven media meltdown. City, regardless of the saints ‘ok’ (ie getting the odd result here and there) record against them, are not likely to falter. This is the fifth time they’ve been down this road in six seasons.
am afraid because on paper man city have a favourable fixtures in EPL compare to ours. our April fixtures will determine whether we win the league or not.let keep our fingers cross.
Every game can bring an upset to Prem favourites, no matter which team plays which other team.
That is exactly the point
I hate to rain on your parade, but over citys four last titles, just eight teams have managed to beat them over that entire period. Of those, four were, utd, liverpool, Chelsea and spurs. Not exactly ‘rank outsiders’. The fact that every time a ‘lesser’ light gets a result against the big six its treated like a cup shock, speaks volumes about how much of a myth that ‘anyone can beat anyone else’ in the EPL is.
Nothing is impossible in football.
That, is very true. 99 times out of a hundred it goes with form book, but in may 1989 a certain team turned it on its head.
@Marge. Which team are referring to in May 1989? I’m not good at history.
Soccer boy a think Marge maybe referring to the last game played in the campaign of 1989 between Liverpool vs Arsenal.
Liverpool I believe was attempting to run away with a double having won the FA cup a few weeks earlier.
It was 1989 the same year of the Hillsborough disaster, it was down to the last day of the campaign between Liverpool vs Arsenal, But the Merseyside club was on top of the table and only needed a draw, Arsenal was second with three points off the pace and needed to win by two clear goals.
Not sure how the first half went but hell broke loose in the second half, as Liverpool was on fire but Arsenal wanted it more as it was almost two decades without the big jug just as we are now, but when the dust settles Arsenal 2 Liverpool 0.
Liverpool never really for gave us , maybe that explains the reason Jergen Klopp rested Sala , Van Dyke and others in the week at bridge to concentrate on this one.
Southampton are fighting for their lives and anything can happen but I expect Man City to steamroller everyone in front of them for the remainder of the season. Except Arsenal, obviously. If Haaland is back we can expect him to appear on the scoresheet in every game from now until the end of the season.
I was practically thinking the same thing, their is every possibility of what might happen , what will happen. Everybody is excepting us to loose. I do strongly feel we may end up winning easily
Paul Merson is right, the big jug could be decided as early as this week if results goes a particular way.
Southampton is probably the youngest team in the league, they are an energetic team that tends to use the entire pitch in their style of play, they do too come up with the odd results as Liverpool found out couple season ago.
It is indeed interesting the pundit is staying clear of predicting a result at Anfield
Why is nobody talking about the fact that Southampton already beat City this season.
And the win did. not flatter than beacuse they were the better team on the day, and Man City had a very strong squad by the way.
The EPL is difficult, no win is guranteed especially when playing away from. home, no matter the team.
Man City will drop points, all those talk about them winning the remaining of their games is waffle talk!
There is a reason they have won only 4 back to back games in the EPL this season
This Southamption game is the kind of game City are most likely to drop pts. Big match vs Bayern coming up, resting players vs the last place team and players showing up expecting to win easily.
They are inconsistent away, lost pts vs Gerard’s Villa, Nottingham and Lampard’s Everton