Here we take a look at the key Premier League fixtures on Match Day 26 which can give us clarity as to who the real contenders are.
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The race for the Champions League places has picked up its pace as we edge closer to the end of the Premier League season. Manchester City are in a league of their own, they are playing some exceptional football which sees them 9 points clear of Liverpool who sit 2nd in the table. Chelsea are 3rd and they will have the confidence of finishing in the top 4. Here’s where it gets interesting, Manchester United, Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham are the 4 clubs who are battling it out to finish in the top 4. Here we take a look at the key Premier League fixtures on Match Day 26 which can give us clarity as to who the real contenders are.
Next up for Tottenham is a daunting trip to Manchester City as Antonio Conte desperately attempts to avoid a fourth Premier League defeat on the bounce.
A miserable week saw Spurs lose ground in the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League with Conte himself downplaying their chances. Another loss, particularly a convincing one, would surely pile even more pressure on him.
City, meanwhile, head into the game in excellent form. Even after battering Sporting in their own backyard on Tuesday night, Pep Guardiola is calling for improvements and hasn’t tasted defeat in a League context since October.
While Spurs beat City in the season opener, taking on a team in this kind of form at the Etihad Stadium is a different task altogether.
Manchester United are looking to build on their midweek win over Brighton as they travel to rivals Leeds United on Sunday.
Victory over the Seagulls ended a poor run of three games without a victory for Ralf Rangnick’s side, who climbed back into the top four, albeit having played more games than several of their rivals for a Champions League place.
? “Leeds are a team that play with the highest amount of speed, so it’s important for us not to allow them to play like that,” Ralf says.
“We are well prepared to play for 90 minutes and stick to the game plan.” ?#MUFC | #LEEMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 18, 2022
Leeds are in need of points for a very different reason, having suffered damaging defeats to relegation rivals Everton and Newcastle in recent weeks, and are about to embark on a tricky run of fixtures, with Liverpool and Tottenham to come after this.
Having returned to winning ways during their last Premier League outing, Arsenal can ramp up the pressure on Manchester United in fourth spot this weekend.
Four points off Ralf Rangnick’s side with three games in hand as things stand, the visit of Brentford offers the chance of a revenge mission.
? Back in N5
? Back in action
? Saturday, 3pm (UK) pic.twitter.com/jNfqQJW45x
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 17, 2022
Indeed, their loss in West London at the start of the season was one of the lowest points of the Mikel Arteta era, albeit there were mitigating factors given the number of Covid absences the team had to deal with.
Still, beating them at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon could go some way into building more momentum heading into the business end of the campaign.
Thomas Frank’s side, meanwhile, are in awful form and have not won in the Premier League since beating Aston Villa at the start of January.
Manchester City vs Liverpool: Talking points from the action-packed draw
