Can Manchester City stay the course and retain the Premier League title?

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As we enter the business end of the 2021/22 season, the race to become Premier League champions is gaining pace.

At one point it looked as though Manchester City were going to retain their title at a canter, but a few stumbles in recent games – alongside an impressively resurgent Liverpool – have made things all the more interesting in these final weeks.

So the question is: can Pep Guardiola and his men steel themselves for the challenge ahead? Will they bring back the trophy to the Etihad Stadium for the second year running? Or will Jurgen Klopp mastermind one of the most sensational comebacks in the history of the Premier League?

Let's dive deeper into the subject to find out more.

Foregone conclusion to frenetic finish

If we rewind a few months and take a look at the Premier League table at the end of 2021, it made very comfortable reading for a Man City fan.

Liverpool had just lost ground by slipping to a 1-0 defeat to Leicester and Chelsea had stalled by drawing 1-1 with Brighton, leaving the door for Man City to open up an eight-point lead with a routine 2-0 win over Brentford.

A 2-1 away win at Arsenal on New Year's Day, followed by a 2-2 draw between their closest rivals, stretched that advantage to a seemingly unassailable 10 points.

A little over two months later, however, the situation looks far from done and dusted. Man City have suffered something of a mini-wobble, drawing to Southampton and losing at home to Spurs in two of their past five league outings.

While that wouldn't represent serious cause for concern for most teams, City's pedigree does not allow for such slips – especially when set against the context of Liverpool's imperious form.

The Reds on red-hot form

Since that draw against Chelsea, Liverpool have won every game since, conceding just twice and scoring a hatful in the process.

Many people predicted that the absences of star duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah at the African Cup of Nations would harm their title prospects, but they shrugged those off doubts effortlessly by winning all three Premier League games and scoring a total of eight goals without reply.

With Salah and Mane back, Diogo Jota recovered from the niggling injury he suffered in February and new signing Luis Diaz taking to life at Anfield like a duck to water, the Reds are very much on the warpath.

They have closed the gap to the league leaders to just a handful of points and still have a game in hand over their Mancunian counterparts, meaning there is very much all to play for as the season enters its endgame.

Title-deciding showdown?

For fans who love to watch and bet on the Premier League, today's game can always seem like the most important one... and in a way, it certainly is.

After all, no club has ever won anything by neglecting to beat what's in front of them – but at the same time, both Man City and Liverpool will surely have one eye on Sunday 10th April already.

On that day, Man City will host Liverpool at the Etihad. It's highly likely that Liverpool will have played their game in hand by then, the outcome of which could dramatically affect the 10th April tie.

However, if Liverpool do win it and continue to maintain their superior goal difference, the battle of the Etihad could become the battle of the Premier League.

While their fate remains firmly in their own hands, Man City's grip on the Premiership trophy looks a lot less secure than it did just weeks ago.

Watch this space to see how the fascinating title race unfolds.

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