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Liverpool and Manchester City are the two serious contenders for 2018-19 Premier League. While Liverpool have 66 points from 27 matches, Man City are just one point behind, 5 points clear from 3rd placed Tottenham and 12 points ahead of the chasing pack.
With only 11 matches left, the title race could very well go down to the wire. Let's look at the 3 things which could decide this seasons' Premier League title.
#3 The main priority for each club
Liverpool is vastly superior to Manchester City in terms of success. They have won 18 First Division (League) titles compared to Machester City's 5 (2 First Division and 3 Premier League titles). However, Liverpool have never won a Premier League. But, this season it could change as they sense that this could be their opportunity to break the Premier League hoodoo.
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On the other hand, having already won the Carabao Cup, Man City are going for the quadruple this season. Both the teams are capable of winning the league but, unfortunately, only one will end up with the trophy.
Even with a squad boasting of superstars like Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and with their recent domestic domination, Man City have never gone past the semi-finals of the Champions League. Thus winning in Europe has become something of an obligation for them.
On the other hand, Liverpool, last year's runners up, with 5 Champions Leagues are the most successful English side in the competition. Thus, they don't have any such obligation.
It would be interesting to see if Liverpool would prioritize the Premier League over the Champions League to claim the only trophy which has eluded them for so long. Or, could Man City prioritize winning in Europe over domestic success?
#2 Luck in the remaining fixtures
As mentioned earlier, Manchester City has won the Carabao Cup and is still challenging for FA Cup, Premier League and UEFA Champions League while Liverpool is active only in the latter two. Liverpool can play a maximum of 17 matches this season while that number can rise to 20 for Man City. Three extra matches at this stage of the season could prove to be a significant factor in the title race. Both the teams have some tricky fixtures ahead of them.
Liverpool faces Everton away in the Merseyside derby on matchday 29. Then, they face a daunting task against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on 14 March. After that, they play host to a tough team in Tottenham on matchday 32 and then to Chelsea on matchday 34.
On 13 March, Man City host Schalke 04 in the second leg of Round of 16. Then, they face Swansea City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. If they win that match, they will have more matches to play. In the Premier League, they have back to back tricky fixtures at the end of April. First up on matchday 34, they play Tottenham at home in which could be an exciting encounter. In their next match, they travel to Old Trafford for the Manchester Derby. Both these matches could define their season.
Both the clubs would hope that luck is on their side in terms of results, injuries and suspensions. An injury to star players like Aguero, De Bruyne, Salah, Mane, Firmino could derail their entire campaign.
Assuming both of them go deep in the Champions League, they would want to avoid potential heavyweights like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, PSG and so on. However, if they are lucky enough, they could face relatively easy opponents in the form of Porto, Roma, Dortmund, Lyon and so on. Depending on these fixtures, they will plan the rest of the season.
Luck could very well play an important role in deciding the Premier League title.
#1 Rotations and Smart Management
As discussed in the previous slide, both the teams will field their sides depending on the opponents. Their travel in the away games (especially Champions League) may also take a physical and mental toll on the players.
Both the managers need their players to be in top shape at the business end of the season. Liverpool favour a high pressing game which demands a lot from their players. Jurgen Klopp must not burn out his players at this crucial stage of the season. Proper rest to the forward line (Salah, Mane, Firmino) must be given.
As with Man City, their game is a bit slicker. But, like Liverpool, they too run a lot, which, could be very taxing for the players. Players on the verge of suspension must only be played when deemed necessary.
In terms of squad depth and talent, both the teams are on par with each other. The star players are not going to make much of a difference. Instead, it is how they are rotated and managed will matter. Eventually, it will come down to the managers as to how they handle and prepare their squad for success.
