The 2021/22 Premier League season is all set to go down to the wire as the two championship rivals are separated by just a solitary point while there are just six points between the four teams battling it out for a top-four position. With a quarter of the campaign left to be played, there are plenty of twists and turns yet to come in the fight for the title and champions league places, and here are five matches that could decide the fate of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
1. Manchester City vs Liverpool
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Venue: Etihad Stadium
Date: 10th April, 2022
In the famous 2018/19 Premier League season that saw Liverpool finish on 97 points to Manchester City’s 98, the Reds famously lost only one game out of 38 – their trip to Manchester City. Those three dropped points eventually proved to be pivotal in the race for the title, and once again in 2022, Liverpool’s visit to the Etihad is likely to have similar consequences. The Reds have clawed back what was once a 12-point gap to just one point, and considering the quality and depth on both sides, the winner of this epic encounter is likely to have their hands on the title.
2. Arsenal vs Manchester United
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Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: 23rd April, 2022
Considering the wealth of talent available to Manchester United, the Red Devils should be the favourites to secure the fourth spot in the Premier League this season. However, things haven’t gone to plan in the red half of Manchester as Ralf Rangnick’s side sit in sixth place, four points behind Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Any more slip-ups could result in United waving goodbye to any hopes of Champions League football for next season, and the Red Devils will have to get a result at the Emirates against Arsenal if they wish to secure top four.
3. Tottenham vs Arsenal
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Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: TBD
Another match that is hugely significant in the race for the top four positions is the North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. The two sides are the current two favourites for the final Champions League spot considering recent form and are separated by just three points with ten games to go. Arsenal haven’t finished above Tottenham since the famous title winning season for Leicester in 2016, but a positive result for the Gunners at the home of the enemy could see Mikel Arteta’s side seal their Champions League aspirations.
4. Liverpool vs Manchester United
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Venue: Anfield
Date: 20th April, 2022
Liverpool thumped Manchester United 5-0 the last time these two sides met in Old Trafford in 2021, and a similar result at Anfield in April would spell the end of the Red Devils’ bid for Champions League football. United have been routinely poor against teams above them in the Premier League this season – barring Tottenham – and Ralf Rangnick’s side would have to miraculously nick a result at one of the hardest away grounds in Europe if they wish to secure a top-four berth.
5. Liverpool vs Tottenham
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Venue: Anfield
Date: 7th May, 2022
The final game which could have a massive bearing on both the title race and top four positions is Tottenham’s visit to Anfield in early May. Although the title and champions league positions could be settled by this stage of the season depending on other results, Spurs’ trip to Liverpool on matchday 36 could have massive consequences for the rest of the league. Although Liverpool have only lost two games all season long, the Reds have some prior experience of slipping up against a London team in the final stages for the season with one hand already on the title.
[Featured Image Credit: Premier League]
Shivaan Shah