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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Tom Cavilla

Liverpool and Man City Premier League title run-in compared to dramatic 2018/19 season

The race for the Premier League title between Liverpool and Manchester City could well go down to the final day of the season once again.

Already witnessed during a remarkable 2018/19 campaign, the two sides push each other to the 38th and final match to decide who would be crowned champions of England. In the end it was Pep Guardiola's team who came out on top by a single point to deny the Reds what would have been a first top-flight title in the modern era.

With only nine games to go this season, City have an advantage of one point and will be all too aware that any further slip-ups are likely to be punished by Jurgen Klopp's men. The one game the defending champions will hope to avoid this happening will be on April 10, when the two sides go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium.

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HAVE YOUR SAY: Can Liverpool win the quadruple?

Liverpool managed to win all nine of their remaining matches in 2018/19 to reach 97 points, but this was still not enough. Below is a look back at how the run-in played out, with the pressure mounting on both sets of players.

Game 30 - Liverpool 4-2 Burnley (73 points), Manchester City 3-1 Watford (74 points) : The Reds survived an early scare against Burnley after falling behind just six minutes into the match from a set-piece. Doubles from Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane saw Liverpool turn the game on its head, however.

Game 31 - Fulham 1-2 Liverpool (76 points), Fulham 0-2 Manchester City (77 points) : Liverpool temporarily moved top of the table after a late James Milner penalty secured three points over the Cottagers. City would match this result 13 days later, though, courtesy of early strikes from Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero.

Game 32 - Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (79 points), Manchester City 2-0 Cardiff (80 points): Late drama was again the theme when Klopp's men hosted Tottenham at the end of March, having benefited from a 90th=minute Toby Alderweireld own goal. Cardiff on home soil proved routine enough for Man City.

Game 33 - Southampton 1-3 Liverpool (82 points), Crystal Palace 1-3 Manchester City (83 points): The Reds displayed their character after fighting back from one goal down to claim all three points on the south coast. Crystal Palace were no match for the reigning champions, although they gave them a late scare when Luka Milivojevic got on the scoresheet.

Game 34 - Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea (85 points), Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (86 points) : Two goals in two minutes saw Liverpool get the better of Chelsea, who were left stunned by a Mohamed Salah screamer. City edged past Spurs courtesy of an early Phil Foden striker.

Game 35 - Cardiff City 0-2 Liverpool (88 points), Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City (89 points): Liverpool were fully expected to come out on top versus Cardiff, and did just that thanks to efforts from Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner. The Reds were hoping for bitter rivals to do them a favour in the Manchester derby, though United were bystanders for much of this contest.

Game 36 - Liverpool 5-0 Huddersfield Town (91 points), Burnley 0-1 Manchester City (92 points): Back on top of the table after a comprehensive beating of Huddersfield, City put in a dogged display two days later at Turf Moor to reclaim top spot.

Game 37 - Newcastle United 2-3 Liverpool (94 points), Manchester City 1-0 Leicester (95 points): Liverpool had Divock Origi to thank for keeping their title hopes alive in dramatic fashion, with the Belgian's header four minutes from time earning a crucial win. It looked as though Leicester were going to be the team to end the winning streak of Guardiola's side two days later, sending Liverpool top heading into the final day, only for Vincent Kompany to pop up with a strike from distance which found the top corner.

Game 38 - Liverpool 2-0 Wolves (97 points), Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Manchester City (98 points) : There was a moment of hope on matchday 38 when Glenn Murray gave Brighton the lead at home to City, though they soon responded with four goals of their own to take the title out of the Reds' reach.

Here is how the final nine fixtures look on this occasion.

Game 30 - Liverpool vs Watford, Burnley vs Man chester City

Game 31 - Man chester City vs Liverpool

Game 32 - Aston Villa vs Liverpool, Wolves vs Man City (postponed due to FA Cup semi-final, new dates yet to be announced)

Game 33 - Liverpool vs Manchester United, Man City vs Brighton

Game 34 - Liverpool vs Everton, Man chester City vs Watford

Game 35 - Newcastle United vs Liverpool, Leeds United vs Man chester City

Game 36 - Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur, Man chester City vs Newcastle United

Game 37 - Southampton vs Liverpool, West Ham United vs Man chester City

Game 38 - Liverpool vs Wolves, Man chester City vs Aston Villa

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