Is it emotion that the running points lack? The 2023/24 season is here Premier League to prove the opposite.
In the hottest championship on the planet, there is currently a triple fight for the title until the end, between Arsenal, Liverpool e Manchester City.
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The lead belongs to the Gunners, with 64 points, ahead of the Reds only by tiebreaker criteria. Right behind, with 63, are the Citizens, current three-time champions and fighting for the unprecedented four-in-a-row the country has ever seen.
Another point that the modern era of the English Championship does not know is reaching the last round with three candidates for the title. Is it time for it to happen for the first time?
Since the creation of the Premier League, the maximum was a dispute between three teams until the penultimate game, when one of them left the dispute. In what years did this happen? O ESPN.com.br below, but with a spoiler: every time, a team from Manchester ended up champion…
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1998/99
Arsenal, Manchester United e Chelsea they fought for the top of the table until the 36th round. With two rounds to go, Arsène Wenger’s team was in the lead, with 75 points, followed closely by Alex Ferguson’s team, with 73, and a little further away by their London rivals, with 71.
Starring Gianfranco Zola, Chelsea got out of the fight by drawing with Tottenham and left the title to Arsenal and United. Who came out on top was the Manchester club, champion with 79 points, in the first trophy of the historic Triple Crown, which also featured the FA Cup it’s at Champions League.
2007/08
Nine years later, the same three clubs repeated the parallel dispute for the title. Manchester United and Chelsea were tied until the penultimate round, with 81 points, while Arsenal, with 77, were close behind.
Everyone won the penultimate game, which mathematically took the Gunners out of contention. In the final round, United beat Wigan, faced a stumble from Chelsea and lifted the Premier League trophy again. The curious thing is that the Blues and Reds returned to compete for a title in the same season, the Champions League, and the Red Devils came out on top again.
2013/14
Ten years ago, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea were the contenders for the Premier League cup. With two games to go, the Citizens and Reds had 80 points, two above the Blues, again with José Mourinho in charge.
A goalless draw with Norwich took Chelsea out of contention before the final game. Liverpool also stumbled, so City took off to avoid any gaps. Well before the era marked by Pep Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini’s team won both games and took the second Premier League title in its history.
And now?
It’s still too early to say that the three will be alive in contention until the last game of the championship, but everything indicates that this will happen.
Arsenal bets its chips on the best attack (70 goals) and in the best defense (24) of the Premier League, superior even to its competitors. After letting the team slip away last season, Mikel Arteta’s team seems stronger enough to fight to the end, although the squad’s lack of achievements, compared to others, certainly has a bearing.
For Liverpool, the big motivation is to close Jürgen Klopp’s cycle with the title. The German coach announced months ago that he will leave the club at the end of the season, which gives this campaign a special flavor. The fact of being out of the Champions League could weigh in favor of the Anfield team, who will have the challenge of dealing with many injuries to reach the final stretch in one piece.
That leaves Manchester City, who seem to have not yet reached their best form this season. Injuries to important parts, such as Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland and even Jack Grealish, left the team below its own potential. The good thing is that, apparently, everyone will be in shape for the final games. This, added to the experience of knowing how to win the Premier League, is undoubtedly fuel.
See below the games that each team will play in the final stretch:
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Manchester City (F) – 31/03, 12h30
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Luton Town (C) – 03/04, 15h30
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Brighton (F) – 06/04, 13h30
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Aston Villa (C) – 14/04, 12h30
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Wolverhampton (F) – 20/04, 15h30
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Chelsea (C) – 23/04, 16h
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Tottenham (F) – 28/04, 10h
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Bournemouth (C) – 04/05, 11h
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Manchester United (F) – 11/05, 11h
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Everton (C) – 19/05, 12h
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Brighton (C) – 31/03, 10h
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Sheffield United (C) – 04/04, 15h30
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Manchester United (F) – 07/04, 11h30
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Crystal Palace (C) – 14/04, 10h
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Fulham (F) – 21/04, 12h30
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Everton (F) – 24/04, 16h
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West Ham (F) – 27/04, 8h30
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Tottenham (C) – 04/05, 11h
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Aston Villa (F) – 11/05, 11h
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Wolverhampton (C) – 19/05, 12h
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Arsenal (C) – 31/03, 12h30
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Aston Villa (C) – 03/04, 16h15
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Crystal Palace (F) – 06/04, 8h30
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Luton Town (C) – 13/04, 11h
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Brighton (F) – 25/04, 16h
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Nottingham Forest (F) – 28/04, 12h30
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Wolverhampton (C) – 04/05, 11h
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Fulham (F) – 11/05, 11h
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West Ham (C) – 19/05, 12h
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Tottenham (F) – undated