In the early morning of December 31, Beijing time, the 20th round of the English Premier League ushered in two key title matches, with Manchester City and Villa both playing at home against promoted horses. Manchester City finished the year with a 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United after a celebration of five trophies. Villa, on the other hand, won 3-2 thanks to Douglas Luiz's penalty in a fierce battle with Burnley to secure the top spot in the home table.
The Premier League title race has been chaotic this season, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa not only close on points, but also even more confusing in the title race. Manchester City had previously gone four games without a win, allowing Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa to lead the standings one after another, but in recent rounds, these teams have suffered chain drops, and the situation has changed again.
According to the statistics, Villa are top of the home table with 53 points, followed by Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal in third and fourth respectively. This has put Villa boss Unai Emery in the spotlight, and his coaching skills have been key to the team's success.
Unlike the dominance of the past few seasons, Manchester City have dropped points five times in their last six games, and Pep Guardiola's side have fallen into an unprecedented slump. Former Manchester United captain Keane said: "It's not like Manchester City, it's not like Pep Guardiola. It's not something we've seen from his team before. They've had some really difficult moments, and losing points is something you would never think about. ”
Arsenal have only won 1 win, drawn 1 and lost 2 in the last 4 rounds, falling from the top of the standings to fourth. Former Manchester United captain Keane put it bluntly: "You don't win anything just because you lead at Christmas, you want to lead at the end of the season. Villa are doing well, they're in great form and set-pieces are important for them. The feeling is that their squad lacks depth. ”
At present, Liverpool, Villa and Manchester City are in the top three, with only two points separating them, and the situation is confusing. Liverpool have amassed 42 points from 19 rounds, with Villa and Manchester City amassing 42 and 40 points respectively, while Arsenal are close behind with 40 points.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa will be attacking at the same time on matchday, with the possibility of winning or losing one of them. In the event of an extreme situation where Liverpool and Arsenal lose at the same time, Villa will be expected to top the table for the first time.
In addition, Arsenal hosted Brighton in this round, but the last three home games against opponents have been lost, and in the face of such a bitter host, Arsenal is difficult to win. At the same time, City's recent sluggish performance against slightly stronger opponents may add more uncertainty to the title race.
Villa will travel to Brentford, and before the game, Unai Emery was favored to lead the team to all three points, and Villa will reach 38 points, waiting for Liverpool and Arsenal to suddenly drop the chain. Although Manchester City's recent form has been poor, they are still favored to usher in more than a dozen consecutive wins and defend their title.
In the chaotic Premier League title season, Manchester City, Arsenal and Villa will compete fiercely in the second half of the season, and fans will also usher in a highly anticipated Premier League drama.
Stay tuned for follow-up reports for more exciting moments of the Premier League title!