The Premier League title could be won at Anfield

The Barclays Premier League title challenge is now effectively a three-horse race. Chelsea lead the table on 69 points, but will have to look cautiously over their shoulder at Liverpool, who’ve picked up 68 from the same number of games (31). But an even bigger threat looms in the form of third-placed Manchester City, who may only have 66 points, but crucially have two games in hand because of domestic cup commitments. Should they win those two games, it will be Manuel Pellegrini’s and not Jose Mourinho’s team atop the table. Arsenal are all but out of the running to end their trophy drought by capturing the title. Their 6-0 weekend humiliation to Chelsea in Arsene Wenger’s 1000th game in charge of the Gunners over the weekend and Mathieu Flamini’s unfortunate last-gasp own goal against Swansea have seen them concede much ground in their title assault. They will now be more focused on ensuring they finish in the top four: a mark of consistency that Wenger has maintained in his 17 years at the club. But qualifying for next season’s Champions League is far from a given for the Gunners, who have 63 points. To secure their top-four status, they need to beat off competition from Everton, who are in fifth with a game in hand over the Gunners, who will travel to the city of Liverpool on the 6th of April. In fact, Liverpool is a city that could well decide the shape of the Premier League in the weeks to come. [caption id=“attachment_1455237” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Chelsea’s Andre Schurrle celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal against Arsenal during their English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London March 22, 2014. Reuters[/caption] Chelsea travel to Anfield on the 27th of April, the season’s penultimate game. They’ve got four games between now and then, against Crystal Palace (A), Stoke (H), Swansea (A) and Sunderland (H). Only Stoke are assured of a place in England’s top flight this season and the games against the other three teams could be potential six-pointers because Tony Pulis, Garry Monk and Gus Poyet know just how important survival is. These teams will therefore give it all they’ve got. Swansea and Sunderland may not have won on their travels, but they will use their results at the Emirates and Anfield as templates to line up against the Blues. With all three times mired in a relegation battle, this could be the time that sees the form book go out the window and Chelsea have a potential banana skin on their hands. Should they seize games like they have for a majority of the season, though, they should continue to set the pace atop the table. But Chelsea will need to show a mental resilience that the other title contenders will perhaps not have to. There is the small matter of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Mourinho will need to make sure his team are prepared to fight on all fronts. Chelsea’s last game of the season is at home to Norwich, another team that are still not out of the relegation battle. The pressure on the Stamford Bridge side could therefore stay with them all the way to the last day of the league. Liverpool have an excellent home record this season, having won 11 and lost none of their last 12 Barclays Premier League games at home this season. As Premier League tales go, the team that finishes atop the table at Christmas is the one that wins the league. Brendan Rodgers’ men were at the table’s summit on the 25th of December but subsequently ceded it to Arsenal, who were on top of the table when the new year began. The Reds have some very tricky fixtures coming up. Three teams that are in contention for European berths travel to Anfield in the next month or so: Tottenham Hotspur (30 March), Manchester City (13 April) and Chelsea (23 April). Interspersed between these fixtures are away trips to West Ham, Crystal Palace and Norwich, who Liverpool face on the final day of the season. Upton Park is never an easy place to visit, with Sam Allardyce’s side known for a physical brand of football that can unnerve many an opposition. But Liverpool’s strength this season has been in attack. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have scored a combined 48 goals in 31 matches. With the chemistry between them being almost telepathic, opposition defenders would do well to give them a wide berth. Historically, teams that possess the striker that scores the most goals win the league. Suarez has led the goal scoring charts for some time. He’s got 28 and Sturridge – second in the charts – has 20. In fact, the Englishman’s goal against Sunderland on Wednesday night was his 11th in 11 appearances at Anfield. The last time both of Liverpool’s frontmen broke the 20 goal mark was during the 1963-64 season, when Roger Hunt and Ian St. John did so. But this season, Liverpool have displayed a propensity of scoring early and then building on that lead: the Reds have scored an astonishing 51 first half goals. But the potency of Liverpool’s attack is one that is more than matched by Manchester City, who’ve already found the back of the net more than a hundred times this season. Sergio Aguero may be City’s out and out dangerman but there are others who seem equally capable of filling his shoes when the occasion demands it. Despite the injuries he’s suffered this season, he’s managed to find the back of the net 26 times in all competitions. In the absence of the 5’8” forward, Edin Dzeko played at Old Trafford and made the history books when he scored the fastest away goal at the Theatre of Dreams after just 43 seconds. He’s scored 20 goals this season and has found the back of the net five times in his last six matches. Crucially for City, ten of those goals – and his last four – have come on the road and he will have some part to play in City’s title charge. As will Alvaro Negredo. He’s found the back of the net 24 times this season. City will need the three forwards (and StevanJovetic) to put away the goals when they travel away to Arsenal (29 March) and Liverpool (13 April). Like the Reds, City have employed an ‘offence is the best defence’ policy and it is one that they will need to enforce because Vincent Kompany’s defensive partners have covered themselves in little glory. Martin Demichelis is far too error-prone to play for a club like City while Joleon Lescott appears to have fallen down the pecking order below the injured Matija Nastasic. City’s remaining fixtures are against Arsenal (29 March), Southampton (5 April), Liverpool (13 April), Sunderland (16 April), West Bromwich (21 April), Crystal Palace (27 April) and West Ham United (11 May). A majority of these teams are either fighting for a place in Europe or battling relegation and will be sure to give it their all. City cannot therefore afford slip-ups like the one against Aston Villa earlier this season. And it is because of all these fixtures that games at Anfield are so important. On paper, there isn’t a lot that separates the three teams in terms of ability and on such fine margins will the Premier League title be won. For all their endeavour going forward, Liverpool are rather porous at the back. Of late, they’ve shipped three against Cardiff, two against Fulham, and have kept only six clean sheets in their last 28 games. Against Sunderland, all eight of their first-half efforts came from outside the box. Lesser teams may not be able to take advantage of such lackadaisical defending at Anfield, but City and Chelsea will be looking to exploit the smallest of lapses in concentration, such as the one which allowed Ki Sung Yueng to halve the deficit for Sunderland three days ago. This Premier League season has been exciting and unpredictable right from the get-go. The business end of the season only amplifies that. The 2013-14 season has given us the kind of drama and excitement that has not been seen in seasons past. A finale where the rollercoaster ride of the English Premier League season takes more unexpected twists and turns is therefore surely in the offing.