2 years ago
Jamie Carragher identifies matches in which Liverpool and Manchester City could fail to win
Due to European commitments, Jamie Carragher believes the next round of fixtures could be pivotal in the Premier League title race.
Both Manchester City and Liverpool have advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, with Pep Guardiola's team facing Real Madrid at the Etihad on Tuesday and Jurgen Klopp's team hosting Villarreal at Anfield on Wednesday.
Both games could be exhausting for the title contenders, and they could falter in their next Premier League match, which takes place on Saturday. City will play Leeds at Elland Road, while Liverpool will play Newcastle at St James' Park.
It's worth noting that the second legs of both Champions League matches are coming up just days after Saturday's Premier League fixtures.
On Tuesday, May 3, Liverpool will face Villarreal in Spain, while City will face Real in the same country 24 hours later.
Following Leeds, City will face Newcastle (at home on May 8), West Ham (away on May 15), Aston Villa (at home on May 22), and Wolves (away, to be confirmed). After their game against Newcastle, Liverpool must play Tottenham (home, May 7), Aston Villa (away, May 10), Wolves (home, May 22), and Southampton (away, to be confirmed).
The Reds moved within a point of City after a 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday. The previous day, Guardiola's team thrashed Watford 5-1 at the Etihad, with Gabriel Jesus scoring four goals.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are vying for Premier League supremacy.
After winning the EFL Cup and reaching the FA Cup final, Liverpool is aiming for an unprecedented quadruple. City, on the other hand, has a chance to win both the Premier League and the Champions League, the two most important trophies available.
And Carragher believes the next ten days will be pivotal in their respective campaigns. "The game in-between a Champions League semi-final will take so much out of you, physically and mentally, for both teams," Carragher told Sky Sports on Sunday.
"It's possible that something will happen in the next league game... I'm looking forward to the next couple of games, as I did with Everton, to see if Liverpool can maintain their lead in the West.
Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness told Sky Sports when asked if the Reds could win the Premier League: "What's the harm? The faith they have. They discovered a result today. They won a different kind of football game. You have to do that if you want to win the league."
Kevin Campbell, a former Everton striker, added: "I believe it will come down to the wire. I started with City, but I believe Liverpool will lose by one point. I can see both of them winning now."
Fans of the Premier League may be in for a repeat of the 2018-19 season, when neither Liverpool nor City faltered in the race for the title, with the latter winning by a single point. City won 14 straight league games, while the Reds won nine on the bounce.
Total Comments: 0