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A lone point is all that separates the top three of the English premier league as it stands. The 2023/2024 season is currently going through one of the most remarkable title races in the competition’s history.
An Arsenal side yet to gaze this trophy since the invincibles campaign, the Merseyside reds seeking to give a befitting farewell gift to gaffer Jurgen Klopp and of course defending champions Manchester City.
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Sunday evening’s draw between Liverpool and Manchester City was all Mikel Arteta’s side required to return to the league’s foremost spot.
While Jurgen Klopp and Josep Guardiola have been engulfed in title races for the better part of half of the last decade, the onset of Arteta’s rejuvenated Arsenal adds extra spice on this occasion.
Last season, the North-London side’s ask for a league trophy despite a surreal campaign was cut short by the Cityzens.
Despite spending 248 days at the top of the Premier League table in the 2022/23 season – remarkably going clear by eight points as at late January, the club somehow lost the title before the season’s final matchday.
Klopp is not left hanging by the Spanish gaffer’s battle axe missing out on the much coveted prize via a single point on multi occasions in 2018/2019 as well as 2021/2022 as the club raged on to attain an impossible quadruple.
The inexperienced one
Arsenal’s fall from grace last summer looked more an issue of seeming inexperience rather than quality or cohesion.
The club totally went off-track with William Saliba’s injury in the title run-in. Dropping important points both on the road and at the Emirates to their own detriment.
The manager who has taken the trophy as a member of the backroom staff since his time at City brought in familiar faces Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to help transcend a first one in full managerial honours in the summer of 2022.
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Over the last, squad leader Granit Xhaka ‘s departure coincided with the arrivals of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya properly bolstering the squad.
The onset of some tricky teams come the club’s last 10 fixtures will set another antic as to whether Mikel Arteta’s CV can stand the test of time.
The motivated one
Liverpool FC arguably have the most to play for amongst all three teams. The longest serving PL manager and club gaffer Jurgen Klopp has announced he’ll finally make his exit from the club this summer.
Having already secured the carabao title against Chelsea in February and still actively enroute in the FA cup and UEFA Europa league, the reds are more than inspired to send the manager off on a flying start.
The recent tie to Manchester City paints a picture as to why the German is much revered — Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah who were plying their trade in the third level of English football just last season were trusted with starts in an all important title deciding game against the Cityzens.
Even without seven first team players, Liverpool handed Manchester City the performance of their life. For spells, they looked to have them by the scruff of the neck and bar some wasteful finishing, the club might have taken all three points.
That’s why to many, it’s the personality of the manager and the trust he instills in his players that’s had the biggest effect on his gameplay ahead of tactics.
All the more reason these players will look to give the perfect departing gift to Jurgen and Urla Klopp.
The serial title winner
If not famous for anything else hypothetically speaking, you definitely cannot brush off the Manchester City upsurge after the winter window.
Particularly when Kevin de Bruyne returns from injury in a title run-in, City leave nothing in their wake as they go all out. The most experienced and of course victorious of the three sides in the title race will look to pull yet another one out of the playbook.
Howbeit, seeming a little bit difficult from the usual — two teams are sandwiched in this quest with Arteta’s team full on form since the turn of the year and Klopp’s outfit properly motivated despite their injury crisis.
With all three teams having interesting fixtures in their final contingent, Guardiola would miss the services of sweeper goalkeeper Ederson Moraes who went off injured against Liverpool.
Ortega Moreno might not be able to provide width as an extra centerback like his colleague, but definitely can come up with the really important saves to keep them in the title challenge.
All to play for the three teams and it’s left to see which can show enough substance to run out champions come the season’s conclusion.
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