Liverpool and Manchester City are embroiled in another title race for the ages, reminiscent of their fierce Premier League battle three years ago.
It came down to the final day in the 2018/19 campaign as City held their nerve to come from behind and defeat Brighton, winning the title with a mammoth total of 98 points to the Reds' 97. All signs point to this season's finale being just as spectacular as just one point separates the two English giants with nine games remaining.
Winning a 20th top-flight title - which would bring them level with Manchester United - seemed a pipe dream for Liverpool in mid-January when they trailed the Sky Blues by a huge margin of 14 points. Kevin De Bruyne had just scored a stunning goal to beat Chelsea, who then sat second in the table, and extend City's winning run in the league to 12 games.
However, Pep Guardiola was left frustrated as his side opened the door just a fraction to their rivals with a 1-1 draw at Southampton in their very next game. City would go on to drop points in two of their next six top-flight outings, losing 3-2 at home to Tottenham in dramatic fashion and drawing 0-0 at Crystal Palace last time out.
Meanwhile, Liverpool slowly but surely closed the gap on the Etihad club, emerging triumphant in their two games in hand as part of a nine-game winning run which stretches back over two months. Jurgen Klopp 's men have had to dig deep at times, battling to narrow victories over the likes of West Ham and Burnley, but they also proved their ruthless drive with a breathtaking 6-0 thrashing of Leeds in February.
Attention now turns to the remaining games for each of the runners in this season's two-horse race. City and Liverpool are, of course, due to meet on 10 April in what is already being tipped as the decisive game in the title tussle.
Both sides will be desperate to come into the match on the back of a victory and the fixture list appears favourable to that end with City travelling to Burnley and Liverpool hosting Watford after the international break. But with a further seven games to be played after at the blockbuster Etihad encounter in just over two weeks' time, neither Guardiola nor Klopp can place too much emphasis on the match while neglecting the games to come.
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This is especially true in the case of the Liverpool boss, who must prepare for two more fixtures against 'Big Six' opposition with Manchester United and Spurs due to visit Anfield in April and May respectively. The Reds must also avoid slipping up against local rivals Everton, who pose a threat on derby day even if their form under Frank Lampard is deeply troubling. The league leaders, meanwhile, face no more 'Big Six' rivals or any other teams they have already dropped points against this season with the exception of Liverpool.
So, City appear to have the advantage on paper and the greater challenges lie in wait for Klopp and Co. over the next two months. However, the two clubs' participation in the FA Cup - where they will meet in the semi-finals in mid-April - and Champions League could throw the cat amongst the pigeons. This could leave them with virtually no free midweeks between now and the end of the season, paving the way for upsets and dropped points to add another dimension to what is shaping up to be one of the greatest Premier League title races.
