Man City took advantage of Liverpool’s draw with Spurs by smashing Newcastle 5-0 to take command of the title race, while Everton took another step toward survival, writes Ryan Baldi…
“The weekend’s results mean City now hold a three-point lead at the top of the table with just three games left to play. Pep Guardiola’s side are available to back at 1.121/8 on the Betfair Exchange in the Premier League Winner market.”
A draw at home to a team of Tottenfham’s quality should seldom be considered a disaster, but Liverpool’s failure to secure all three points against Antonio Conte’s men at Anfield on Saturday evening might just have cost the Reds their chances of 20th top-flight title this term.
Spurs arrived on Merseyside with a plan to frustrate their hosts – and it worked. In a game of few clear-cut chances, each side exchanged efforts against the woodwork – via former Southampton pair Virgil van Dijk and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – before Son Heung-min fired Tottenham ahead from close range in the 56th minute.
But for the fortune of a heavily deflected Luis Diaz equaliser in the 74th minute, it could have been even worse news for Liverpool. The point they rescued, however, feels scant consolation when such a tight title race is heading to the wire.
Reigning champions Manchester City pounced on the opportunity to put daylight between themselves and their nearest challengers on Sunday afternoon by thrashing Newcastle United 5-0 at the Etihad.
England star Raheem Sterling opened and closed the scoring, taking his Premier League tally for the season to 12, with Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Phil Foden also among the goals as City bounced back from the disappointment of a midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.
The weekend’s results mean City now hold a three-point lead at the top of the table with just three games left to play. Pep Guardiola’s side are available to back at 1.121/8 on the Betfair Exchange in the Premier League Winner market, while Liverpool are out to 8.615/2.
Arsenal rising
As impressive as any point earned at Anfield undoubtedly is, Tottenham’s draw with Liverpool did about as much for their own objectives for the remainder of the season as it did for their hosts’.
Locked in a battle for the final Champions League-qualifying spot, Spurs lost ground on local rivals Arsenal this weekend after the Gunners saw off Leeds United 2-1 at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s men raced to a 2-0 lead thanks to an early brace from former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah, with both the young striker’s goals coming inside the first 10 minutes.
Leeds pulled one back in the second half through Spanish midfielder Diego Llorente, but it wasn’t enough and Arsenal extended their lead in the race for fourth to four points.
Arsenal and Spurs face off next week, but the Gunners could even set their sights beyond fourth place to a previously unthinkable top-three finish. After Chelsea squandered a 2-0 lead given to them by a Romelu Lukaku double to draw 2-2 with Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Arsenal are just one point behind the Blues with three games to play.
Arsenal are available to back 1.341/3 on the Exchange in the Top 4 Finish market and can be backed at 3.55/2 to make the top three. Spurs are 3.3512/5 to snatch fourth.
Manchester United‘s miserable recent form had already effectively put paid their top-four ambitions for this season, but their latest reverse – a humbling 4-0 pummelling at the hands of Brighton – has brought their top-six status under threat.
United were atrocious at the AmEx Stadium on Saturday, as Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard compiled a scoreline that did not flatter Graham Potter’s well-drilled side.
United are now sixth. After trouncing condemned Norwich 4-0 at Carrow Road on Sunday, West Ham are just three points behind United with a game in hand. Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils are 1.21/5 on the Exchange to finish inside the top six; David Moyes’ Hammers are available at 32/1.
Toffees clear of the sticky stuff
With their 2-1 defeat of Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, Everton have posted back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time since September. Frank Lampard’s struggling have moved a point and two places clear of the relegation zone, having played one game fewer than those around them.
Vitaliy Mykolenko and Mason Holgate scored either side of Patson Daka’s fifth league goal of the season to give Everton breathing room in the battle to beat the drop. The Merseysiders are now available at 1211/1 on the Betfair Exchange in the Relegation market.
The outlook is less optimistic for Burnley and Leeds, two clubs who parted ways with respected and beloved bosses this season in an effort to stave off the threat of relegation.
Burnley’s 3-1 loss to Aston Villa at Turf Moor and Leeds’ reverse at the hands of Arsenal leave both sides level on 34 points, with Leeds occupying drop zone by virtue of an inferior goal difference.
Source: Betfair Premier League
