Premier League title & top-6 predictions | Football Blog

A breathless 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Manchester City has set an incredible Premier League title race up for one of the most dramatic season finales in the competition’s history.

Pacesetters Arsenal took advantage of the share of the spoils at Anfield to seize the top spot with a 2-1 home victory against Brentford, moving one point clear of the two most recent English champions.

As the title run-in heats up, sites like Flashscore are the best way to keep up with the latest Premier League developments in real-time.

Nothing less breathtaking is the battle for the two remaining Champions League spots, as the fifth place will probably warrant the place in the elite competition’s new format next term.

Aston Villa’s fortunate 1-1 draw at West Ham United last weekend ensured they headed into March’s international break as the ‘best of the rest,’ extending their lead on fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur to three points.

Spurs’ embarrassing 3-0 defeat at Fulham saw them waste a golden opportunity to draw level on points with Unai Emery’s side, especially as they still have a game in hand.

However, Manchester United must have been thrilled to see the London outfit’s collapse at Craven Cottage, allowing them to climb within a six-point distance of the coveted fifth spot.

Unless Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham establish the consistency they’ve desperately lacked throughout the season, five of these six teams should feature in Europe’s most prestigious competition next year.

It’s time to break it down.

Title Race

Despite sitting atop the Premier League league table going into the last ten rounds, Arsenal are still only the third-favourites to snap their two-decade title drought.

Seeking an unprecedented fourth successive title, Man City are the leading candidates to cover themselves in glory come May, with Liverpool lagging slightly behind.

However, battles on multiple fronts, despite keeping them in contention for a second ‘Treble’ on the trot, could take their toll on Pep Guardiola’s side.

While Arsenal should be the most heavily motivated team to end Man City’s supremacy in the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp views the second league crown as a perfect parting gift before departing Anfield.

After infamously storming out of the press conference after a 4-3 loss to Man Utd in the FA Cup quarter-finals (via Mail Sport), the German will have another incentive to dethrone his arch-nemesis, Guardiola.

Key Fixtures

The title race could unfold immediately after the international break as Arsenal and Man City go head-to-head in a top-table six-pointer at the Emirates Stadium.

If the Gunners can pull off their first league double against the Etihad club since 2007/08, no one would dare to doubt their title credentials down the final stretch.

Mikel Arteta’s men entered the break on a high after winning all eight league outings in 2024. Maintaining that run against City would put them in the driver’s seat to lift the trophy.

With Man Utd and Tottenham among high-profile opponents awaiting them in the follow-up, their fixture schedule looks far more favourable than Liverpool’s.

In addition to these two teams, the Reds will face three more top-table rivals in Brighton, Villa and West Ham, meaning Man City are in the best position to stretch their domestic dominance.

Of the three title-bidding sides, the Cityzens, fresh off confirming their US Tour via the club’s website, have the most straightforward schedule, at least on paper.

But it’s hard to underestimate Klopp’s determination and the attacking quality of this Liverpool side. With Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez back from injuries, the Reds are our number-one pick to go to the podium.

Who Will Qualify for Champions League?

With nine points separating fourth-placed Villa and sixth-placed Man Utd, there’s still everything to play for in the final ten matchdays (nine in Villa’s case).

Despite another turbulent league campaign, no one can write Erik ten Hag’s team off, even though most of their remaining top-flight games look scary.

United will take on Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, among others, at the tail-end of the campaign. Given their long-standing struggles in these high-octane clashes, the Dutch manager can’t be overly optimistic.

But after dumping Liverpool out of the FA Cup, the morale is high at Old Trafford again, increasing the likelihood of a successful late top-five push.

Villa and Tottenham have shown many flaws in recent games, especially the latter, letting Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers leave them pointless.

From this standpoint, it looks almost impossible for the Lions to drop outside the Champions League qualification spots, but stranger things have happened.