City edge ahead of Gunners in title race

BY DAVID SAFFER

The Premier League title race and relegation battle has reached the final month of the season with everything to play for at both ends of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City wrestled control of the title race after convincingly defeating the Gunners 4-1 at the Etihad last weekend. They will lift the title if they win their remaining games whatever the north London side do after an enthralling campaign.

City next welcome relegation strugglers Leeds United, who rolled the dice this week by sacking manager Javi Garcia and appointing veteran manager Sam Allardyce who has performed the ‘great escape’ at a number of clubs.

Arsenal, meantime, after a torrid run of form halted by a 3-1 won over Chelsea, travel to high flying Newcastle United in what will be an intriguing weekend of football in the title race.

In the battle for Champions League spots Newcastle and Manchester United are almost there, the Reds travelling to West Ham who are four points clear of the relegation fight.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have finally found a run of form to move into fifth spot ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, though don’t discount Brighton & Hove Albion who have games in hand over the Reds.

The relegation battle is turning into the hardest to predict with four games remaining. Two teams from Leicester City, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Everton will most likely join Southampton in the Championship. One point splits the quartet with Saints half a dozen points back.

Leeds have arguably the toughest run of the quartet starting with City and Newcastle before clashes against the Hammers and Tottenham. Desperate to avoid the drop, United rolled the dice this week by sacking manager Javi Gracia, following a dismal run of form in his 11 games at the helm, replacing him with Allardyce. Director of football Victor Orta also left Elland Road.

Allardyce, apart from his last post at West

Brom two years ago, has performed the relegation magic trick at Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Everton. But Big Sam’s latest appointment is arguably his toughest given an unenviable run of fixtures and the Yorkshire sides dreadful form, four points from seven games in April. The Whites have shipped 23 goals in that period! But if anyone can perform the escape act Allardyce can though the odds though are stacked against him. The Elland Road faithful will be praying Big Sam can pull off a miracle.

Aside from Leeds, Everton are arguably favourites to be relegated. They play Brighton, Manchester City, Wolves and Bournemouth. But it won’t be easy for Leicester who face Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham while Nottingham Forest take on Southampton, Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace. Saints have to beat Forest before clashes with Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool.

The final month of the season is shaping up to be nerve jangling for a number of clubs at both ends of the table.

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