City primed for title as Liverpool held
Print Edition
THE most unpredictable Premier League title race for years could still offer up another twist or turn before it is decided on Sunday but in a season of shocks, none would be as monumental as table-topping Liverpool going on to be crowned champion.
Liverpool may be the league leader with just a home match against Newcastle to play but for once the old cliche that “the table never lies” is wrong, as Manchester City is just a point adrift with two relatively routine home fixtures remaining. Even though City still needs four points to guarantee a second title in three years, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers conceded defeat in the race on Monday after his side blew a three-goal cushion with 11 minutes to play in a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace.
The lead at the top of the table has changed hands 24 times this season and it is likely to do so for the 25th and final time tonight when City meets Aston Villa at the Etihad with the title now firmly in its grasp.
City was never completely out of contention but appeared to suffer near-fatal blows when it lost at home to Chelsea at the beginning of February and at Liverpool last month. However, the Premier League’s biggest spenders always had goals to spare and matches in hand to revive their challenge as soon as their rivals slipped.
While Liverpool is currently top on 81 points ahead of its season finale at Anfield, City also has the added insurance of a far superior goal difference. If City beats Aston Villa today it will only need to take a point from its final game against West Ham United to clinch a fourth English title.
It is almost inconceivable it will self-destruct as Liverpool did on Monday, a capitulation which left striker Luis Suarez in tears and his teammates slumped on the pitch.
Neither the players, nor most of the 25,000 fans at Selhurst Park could believe what they had witnessed — a kind of mirror image of Liverpool’s famous comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul.
Then it trailed 0-3 at half-time but inspired by skipper Steven Gerrard, scored three goals “in six minutes of madness” as then-Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti famously described it, to level the game at 3-3 before winning the penalty shootout to become European champions for the fifth time.
On Monday, it led Palace 3-0 with 11 minutes to play following goals from Joe Allen, Daniel Sturridge and Suarez. Suddenly Palace responded with a deflected strike from Damien Delaney and two more from substitute Dwight Gayle as the shaky Liverpool defence caved in.
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