Manchester City ended the weekend atop the Premier League table after Liverpool and Arsenal registered defeats on Sunday, potentially titling the title race in the reigning champions’ favor in the process.
Pep Guardiola’s team currently have a two-point lead atop the table, a much different spot than the few points disadvantage they had a few weeks earlier. Arsenal and Liverpool are tied on points, with the Gunners edging out the Reds on goal difference as things stand. Things might currently favor City, but much will come down to the rest of the games on the calendar, many of which could be fairly competitive as each of the title contenders face a combination of teams angling for Champions League berths and aiming to stay out of the relegation zone.
With not long to go, here’s a ranking of each team’s remaining schedule by easiest to hardest.
Premier League standings
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Manchester City |
32 | 22 | 7 | 3 |
76 |
32 |
+44 |
73 |
|
Arsenal |
32 | 22 | 5 | 5 |
75 |
26 |
+49 |
71 |
|
Liverpool |
32 | 21 | 8 | 3 |
72 |
31 |
+41 |
71 |
3. Manchester City, 73 points
Remaining schedule
All times Eastern/U.S.
- April 3: Manchester City 4, Aston Villa 1
- April 6: Crystal Palace 2, Manchester City 4
- April 13: Manchester City 5, Luton Town 1
- April 25, 3 p.m.: Brighton and Hove Albion (away)
- April 28, 11:30 a.m.: Nottingham Forest (away)
- May 4, 10 a.m.: Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)
- May 11, 10 a.m.: Fulham (away)
- May 14, 3 p.m.: Tottenham Hotspur (away)
- May 19, 11 a.m.: West Ham (home)
Five of City’s six matches are against teams ranked eighth or lower, most of them solidly midtable and poised to offer little trouble to the defending champions as they make easy work of such games in this final stretch of the season. There are two matches worth keeping an eye on, though — this month’s encounter against Nottingham Forest, who will feel in desperate need of the points to stave off relegation, and their penultimate game of the season against Tottenham. The North Londoners could still be in the midst of their battle for a Champions League berth and have a surprising ability to keep City at bay, even if it feels unwise to bet against City at this time of year.
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2. Arsenal, 71 points
Remaining schedule
All times Eastern/U.S.
- April 3: Arsenal 2, Luton Town 0
- April 6: Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Arsenal 3
- April 13: Arsenal 0, Aston Villa 2
- April 20, 2:30 p.m.: Wolverhampton Wanderers (away)
- April 23, 3 p.m.: Chelsea (home)
- April 28, 9 a.m.: Tottenham Hotspur (away)
- May 4, 10 a.m.: Bournemouth (home)
- May 11, 10 a.m.: Manchester United (away)
- May 19, 11 a.m.: Everton (home)
Arsenal might started the month with a harder schedule than Liverpool, but it’s not just the Reds’ form that bumps them in this list. The Gunners have a slightly better combination of top teams and midtable sides before the season’s up, playing four teams ranked ninth or lower. The hardest games on their schedule are a high-stakes derby against Tottenham and a matchup against Manchester United, which could be less tricky than it was in the past considering the Red Devils’ recent form. It’s also worth acknowledging that the final game against Everton could pose its own challenges depending on the Toffees’ standing in the relegation race. Sunday’s loss to Villa, though, suggests that Arsenal’s defense is not as sturdy as recent weeks might suggest, though.
1. Liverpool, 71 points
Remaining schedule
All times Eastern/U.S.
- April 4: Liverpool 3, Sheffield United 1
- April 7: Manchester United 2, Liverpool 2
- April 14: Liverpool 0, Crystal Palace 1
- April 21, 11:30 a.m. Fulham (away)
- April 24, 3 p.m.: Everton (away)
- April 27, 7:30 a.m.: West Ham (away)
- May 4, 10 a.m.: Tottenham Hotspur (home)
- May 11, 10 a.m.: Aston Villa (away)
- May 19, 11 a.m.: Wolverhampton Wanderers (Home)
Recent results do not favor Liverpool, and neither does their schedule to finish out the season. They have the two hardest teams not in the title race — Aston Villa and Tottenham — left on the calendar, even if the rest of the teams they face are ranked eighth through 16th. Like Arsenal, they have a vital clash with Everton coming up that could cause trouble, but considering Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace, there’s a big question about how much gas Liverpool have left in the tank against anyone, not just the teams most in need of points.
KVSP