Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures – Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool? | OneFootball

The Premier League is heading for a classic title race, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal set for a three-way battle as the season enters the run-in.

A “painful” week in the Champions League and Europa League saw the Premier League’s top three teams all crash out of European competition at the quarter-final stage, as attention returns to the title race once again.

It comes as to leave champions City leading the way with six games to go. Pep Guardiola’s side are aiming to win a fourth league title in a row – a feat that has never been achieved in the history of English football, and the title is now in their hands.

But it’s not over yet. With City in action in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend, both Arsenal and Liverpool have two games to play before City’s next Premier League fixture. It’s a chance for Klopp and Arteta to put the pressure on.

So, with six games to go, which team has the best fixtures and who has the hardest run of games to end the season?

Arsenal

Points: 74

GD: +51

Avg. opponents PpG: 1.44

Difficulty: ★★★★

Arsenal were seven games from the title, but a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa was a devastating blow and could be the moment the Premier League slips from their grasp.

Arsenal had been in brilliant form since the turn of the year and now have to pick themselves up to avoid the mistakes of last season. The nature of their defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League suggested there was a hangover and Arsenal’s season, once again, is now in danger of fizzling out, but a 2-0 win at Wolves was a good response.

Mikel Arteta’s side have already proved they are made of stronger stuff than they were this time last year, but the Gunners still have tough tests to come, including Tottenham and Manchester United away from home.

Arsenal are top again but need City to drop points and they must rediscover their form to even stand a chance of pushing Pep Guardiola’s side to the end of the season.

Manchester City

Points: 73

GD: +44

Avg. opponents PpG: 1.37

Difficulty: ★★★

There will be no repeat of the treble, after City were knocked out of the Champions League on penalties by Real Madrid, but the double is still on. Defeats for Liverpool and Arsenal last weekend left the champions in control of the title race , and now they have a favourable run ahead of them after hitting the front

City, after all, have been here before and their Premier League fixtures are looking more favourable now those games against Liverpool and Arsenal are out of the equation. It leaves a trip to Tottenham, where City have never won in the Premier League under Guardiola, as their toughest fixture of the run-in. The Gunners could do with a favour from their north London rivals, there.

That fixture will now be played in the final week of the season, after City reached another FA Cup final with victory over Chelsea. It could be a must-win match for Ange Postecoglou’s side, too, as Spurs aim to secure Champions League qualification. Tottenham will know what they need by then, too, after already facing Arsenal and Liverpool.

With their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on this weekend, City won’t be in Premier League action again until Thursday 25 April. As both Liverpool and Arsenal play twice in the title race before then, it could create the illusion of City playing catch-up. It gives Liverpool and Arsenal the chance to put the pressure on.

Points: 71

GD: +41

Avg. opponents PpG: 1.50

Difficulty: ★★★★

Liverpool stood eight wins from the title and with the Premier League in their hands, but they now require favours from elsewhere after a damaging week. A 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford was a blow, but a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace could prove fatal to Liverpool’s title chances.

The Reds have lost their advantage and are now behind both Arsenal and Manchester City in the title race. On current form, their run-in looks even harder now as well, with away games against Fulham and a trip to Goodison Park for a midweek Merseyside Derby no longer the formalities than they may have once appeared in early April.

Liverpool have the trickiest final-three, too, and the other key clashes to look out for are those against sides chasing Champions League football. Liverpool face Tottenham at Anfield before a trip to Aston Villa on Monday night in the final week of the season, giving Liverpool a tough final trio of games in May when Wolves at home on the final day is also considered.

Having already won the Carabao Cup, the Reds were favourites to reach the Europa League final and the Dublin showpiece on 22 May. But a shock defeat to Atalanta in the Europa League leaves Klopp just the Premier League to fight for in his final few weeks in charge.

A Manchester City-Arsenal Champions League semi-final could have distracted Liverpool’s title rivals, but that won’t happen after they were both knocked out of Europe on the same night.