English Premier League: The Top 4 Battle Remains Unpredictable

In the highlight match of round 25, Man City defeated hosts Liverpool 2-1. This win allowed Pep Guardiola’s squad to keep a 6-point gap behind Arsenal after this round.

The latest classic encounter in English football was extremely thrilling, exciting, and full of surprises, concluding amid much controversy.

Both Man City and Liverpool started cautiously. Despite Liverpool’s home advantage, they deliberately adopted a defensive strategy at Anfield.

The first half was dominated by the visiting Man City. This period showcased Man City players’ excellent ability to escape pressing. It also revealed Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities. However, the home side’s mistakes were not significant enough for Man City to capitalize on.

Early in the second half, Liverpool unexpectedly changed tactics. They completely dominated Man City and created numerous chances but failed to convert any.

It wasn’t until the 74th minute that Dominik Szoboszlai scored from nearly 30 meters, the ball hitting the post before going into Man City’s net. A truly spectacular goal.

But Liverpool’s joy was short-lived. In the 84th minute, after a smooth combination between Rayan Cherki and Haaland, Bernardo Silva sprinted forward to score, leveling the score at 1-1 for Man City.

The turning point came at 90+2 minutes when Liverpool was awarded a penalty. In an attempt to prevent a goal, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker collided with Man City’s Matheus Nunes. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot despite strong protests from the home players.

From the penalty spot, Erling Haaland easily converted, putting Man City ahead 2-1.

This was Haaland’s 21st Premier League goal this season, extending his lead as the league’s top scorer.

In the remaining minutes, Liverpool pushed forward aggressively seeking an equalizer but to no avail.

With this win over Liverpool, Man City now has 50 points, temporarily sitting second in the standings, 6 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s loss to their biggest rival widened the gap with the Top 5 to 4 points.

Earlier, Arsenal comfortably defeated Sunderland 3-0 to firmly consolidate their top position.

Under interim coach Michael Carrick, Manchester United have maintained a winning streak with four consecutive victories. Their win against Tottenham in round 25 secured their Top 4 spot with 44 points.

Meanwhile, Chelsea sits just behind United by a single point, making the race for next season’s Champions League places highly competitive.

At the bottom of the table, West Ham has reignited the relegation battle by earning 3 points against Burnley and Nottingham but losing 1-3 to Leeds United. Currently, West Ham (18th) is only 3 points behind Nottingham (17th) in the safe zone. Wolves continue to struggle deeply after a 1-3 defeat to Chelsea and face a clear relegation threat.

After an exciting round 25 featuring fierce battles among top teams, round 26 is relatively calm. Big clubs like Man City, Arsenal, and Chelsea face significantly weaker opponents.

Premier League Round 26 Schedule
February 11th
2:30 AM: Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United
2:30 AM: Everton vs AFC Bournemouth
2:30 AM: Chelsea vs Leeds United
3:15 AM: West Ham United vs Manchester United

February 12th
2:30 AM: Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
2:30 AM: Manchester City vs Fulham
2:30 AM: Crystal Palace vs Burnley
2:30 AM: Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion
3:15 AM: Sunderland vs Liverpool