The 22nd round of the Premier League continued in midweek, and the big three won together, making the pattern of the Premier League title basically set. Liverpool and Manchester City are believed to be the two favourites this season, while Arsenal and Tottenham still have a chance to compete for the title if they can continue to win, while Aston Villa has gradually fallen behind.
In the just-concluded game, the returning De Bruyne assisted from a quick free-kick, although he did not score, but he could help his teammates score in several consecutive games, and Manchester City waited for the star they needed most. In the face of Burnley, who was the leader of the former **, Guardiola did not relent, easily won the game, and Alvarez scored twice to become the biggest contributor, reflecting his value and winning the best birthday present for himself.
Alvarez, who scored twice in six minutes, was able to score goals consistently, but he faced no small competition as the Norwegian striker finally returned. In the second half, Haaland replaced De Bruyne, perhaps because the banquet had passed, and he finally got into the table, the master had already left work, and he did not find a chance to score in just half an hour. In the Champions League, which will resume in two weeks, De Bruyne and Haaland will be the key players for Manchester City to challenge for the title.
Tottenham, who lacked Son Heung-min, drew with Manchester United and lost to Manchester City in succession, and ushered in a difficult victory. After trailing at half-time, he scored three goals in the second half to seal up an important three points and keep the Premier League title in contention.
Postecoglou's decisive substitution of two men at half-time was a key factor in Tottenham's game-changing. In just 10 minutes, including substitute Johnson, Tottenham used a lightning attack to quickly score three goals and establish the victory. It seems that the manager is still quite important, without Kane, without Son Heung-min, Postecoglou has built another team that is full of enthusiasm.
Jurgen Klopp, who announced his departure earlier, did not affect Liverpool, and the red team remained unstoppable. Three days ago, five men scored to beat Norwich City in the FA Cup, and this round continued its strong multi-point development, with Jota, Bradley, Szobosloy and Dias scoring a goal each to beat Chelsea, who seemed to be out of the doldrums.
Why add the word "seemingly"? Since the end of last year, Chelsea have won five of their six games, with one defeat not making the big difference, with multiple victories securing the team into the Carabao Cup final and a chance to clinch Liverpool. However, in recent days, Chelsea have been unable to beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup and have had to play an extra game, and the Premier League defeat to Liverpool has not been able to overtake Manchester United, so they can only remain in the top 10 of the Premier League. Pochettino had no choice but to abandon the league and focus on two domestic cup competitions, including a replay of the FA Cup in a few days' time.
Liverpool are without Mohamed Salah, but Jurgen Klopp's side seem to know how to score goals better, and multiple people have the ability to score, which is a skill that the big teams must have. Nunez's experience has made fans laugh and cry, and he has handed over 11 goals and 11 assists. However, Nunez hit the goal frame four times in the face of Chelsea, including a penalty, and completed a total of 12 hits to the goal frame.
The big three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have won one after another, and the Premier League pattern has been set, and from the standings, including West Ham in sixth place, the team has no chance of competing for the title. Liverpool have 51 points, Manchester City and Arsenal also have 46 points, and Tottenham Hotspur and Villa are also equal, with 43 points each, giving City the advantage of having a game in hand.
In terms of fixtures, Liverpool is the most dense, reminiscent of last season's Manchester United, with all four games going hand in hand to win their first title of the season: the League Cup. Manchester City waited for the return of Haaland and De Bruyne, and the call for winning the Premier League and the Champions League was still the highest, and they didn't know if they could achieve the great achievement of defending the treble.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Villa, although not too far behind in points, have their own disadvantages. Mikel Arteta struggled to address the weakness of the starting 11, thankfully the early exit from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup gave him two remaining opportunities to fight hard. Strikers such as Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli and Bukayo Saka can score goals that are the driving force for the team to move forward, and Havertz, known as the Mr. Big Spec, is the key variable in key games.
Tottenham and Villa will have a hard time challenging for the title this season. Without Kane, Tottenham don't look like they're scoring too much less efficient, but their ability to win important games has been greatly reduced. Villa have a chance of winning the UEFA Europa League, just like West Ham last season, and Unai Emery has said that he can't talk about the Premier League title until 30 rounds, perhaps just after the defeat to Newcastle, Villa are starting to lose the chance to win the Premier League, and Europe is the first target.