If there was any doubt that the Premier League title race was going to go down to the wire then on Saturday Manchester City and Liverpool extinguished it.
Liverpool began the day with a 2-0 win at home against a plucky Watford who spurned a few clear opportunities to score. Jurgen Klopp's side were far from their best, but they showed their title credentials by getting the job done regardless to win a tenth league match in a row.
City responded in typical fashion however, a brilliant first-half display showcasing that not even the most defensively-minded teams could likely stand in their way. Goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan returned Pep Guardiola's side to the top of the table, meaning that City sit one point ahead of their title rivals before the pair meet at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday.
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That game will no doubt be billed as the match that decides the destination of the Premier League trophy, although in reality both sides will still have seven games to play after the crunch clash. Whatever the result, seven games is more than enough for one team to throw away a lead and the other to make up the ground.
The next three weeks will be crucial for City as Guardiola attempts to juggle league, Champions League and FA Cup commitments. After a gruelling 11-day period in which the Blues will face Atletico Madrid twice in the Champions League and Liverpool in the league and FA Cup semi-final, they'll face two league games at home in the space of three days against Brighton and Watford, before making a potentially tricky trip to Leeds.
A home duel with a resurgent Newcastle could prove less straightforward than initially thought, while a trip to West Ham is never easy. On the final day, Jack Grealish's former club Aston Villa come to town.
On paper Liverpool appear to have the slightly tougher run-in, with two emotionally-draining games against Manchester United and Everton in the space of five days followed by trips to Newcastle and Southampton and a home meeting with Spurs. On the final day they'll host Wolves at Anfield.
The run-in will no doubt throw up more twists and turns before May 22, but one thing is for certain: avoid defeat against Liverpool on April 10 and the fate of the title race will be in City's hands.
Man City's fixtures
April 10 - Liverpool (H)
TBC - Wolves (A)
April 20 - Brighton (H)
April 23 - Watford (H)
April 30 - Leeds (A)
May 7 - Newcastle (H)
May 15 - West Ham (A)
May 22 - Aston Villa (H)
Liverpool fixtures
April 10 - Man City (A)
TBC - Aston Villa (A)
April 19 - Manchester United (H)
April 24 - Everton (H)
April 30 - Newcastle (A)
May 7 - Tottenham (H)
May 15 - Southampton (A)
May 22 - Wolves (H)
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