After Manchester City lost in a major upset to Crystal Palace, in a final score of 3-2, their chances to win the league became even slimmer. Liverpool had a lead by 1 point previously, and after Liverpool's 2-0 win over the Wolves, that lead increased to a 4 point lead. This means that there's a two game differential. This is a hard comeback considering how well Liverpool has been playing recently, but in the future, Liverpool does have some challenging matchups.
Next week Liverpool plays Newcastle, and Manchester City play Leicester City. This should be a pair of easy wins for both teams, and if that remains true, then the point difference will still be 4 points.
However, the week after that week, in Week 20 of the EPL, Liverpool plays Arsenal. Although Liverpool seems to be the better team, Arsenal should prove to be more than a challenge. If Arsenal utilize Aubameyang, Lacazette, and Ozil, they should be able to but the ball in the back of the net. If all goes according to plan for Manchester City and Liverpool loses, City must beat Southampton in what looks like a one-sided matchup in their favor.
But the most daunting task lies ahead of both teams in Week 21. The two teams go head to head, and the best team in the Premier League will be relieved. If they want a chance at the title, Manchester City is going to have to win all their games, while Liverpool is going to have to lose at least one, and then when the two teams matchup against each other City must prevail if it wants any chance at its second consecutive EPL title.
Although this seems simple on paper, the important thing is that when a team . starts falling due to to pressure, it is almost impossible for them to pick themselves up. After Palace's first 2 goals, City's usually calm composure collapsed. Guardiola's substitutions went from tactical and precise to random and desperate. Furthermore, at the end of the game City had given up hope and were trying to send high lob balls into the opponent box instead of slowly building up plays from the wings like they usually do. A major 2-0 loss to Chelsea on 12/18 could also be a part of City's poor performance and it may be contributing to doubt within the team.
No matter what has happened, Manchester City and its players must pick themselves up over Christmas break, and be ready to play Leicester City the dat after. If they win the next two games in a row, they might have enough momentum to beat Liverpool when the two English giants go head to head.
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