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Will City or Liverpool be champions? Burnley or Leeds to go down? And surely Spurs won’t lose at Norwich … will they?
This season’s final-day title battle will have an air of familiarity as Manchester City look to pip Liverpool to the post for the third time in the last decade. Steven Gerrard will be in the opposition dugout at the stadium where the greatest finale of all played out 10 years ago. Folklore is in the air, but Pep Guardiola might feel frustrated that it has come to this. City could have few complaints with their draw at West Ham, digging in to rescue a vital point after a disastrous first half – but had Riyad Mahrez scored his late penalty, Liverpool would have been left needing snookers. Lukasz Fabianski’s fine save should not be overlooked, but the outcome highlights a curious weakness in Guardiola’s attacking machine. In the six seasons since he took charge, City have scored 34 of 50 spot-kicks awarded – the worst conversion rate among the ‘big six’ clubs. Even Sergio Agüero was guilty of the odd aberration but since his departure, Guardiola has struggled to settle on a penalty taker. Erling Haaland will bring a 92% success rate with him next season, but for now, City fans will hope another late spot-kick is not required. NMc
Manchester City v Aston Villa, Sunday 4pm
Liverpool v Wolves, Sunday 4pm
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This season’s final-day title battle will have an air of familiarity as Manchester City look to pip Liverpool to the post for the third time in the last decade. Steven Gerrard will be in the opposition dugout at the stadium where the greatest finale of all played out 10 years ago. Folklore is in the air, but Pep Guardiola might feel frustrated that it has come to this. City could have few complaints with their draw at West Ham, digging in to rescue a vital point after a disastrous first half – but had Riyad Mahrez scored his late penalty, Liverpool would have been left needing snookers. Lukasz Fabianski’s fine save should not be overlooked, but the outcome highlights a curious weakness in Guardiola’s attacking machine. In the six seasons since he took charge, City have scored 34 of 50 spot-kicks awarded – the worst conversion rate among the ‘big six’ clubs. Even Sergio Agüero was guilty of the odd aberration but since his departure, Guardiola has struggled to settle on a penalty taker. Erling Haaland will bring a 92% success rate with him next season, but for now, City fans will hope another late spot-kick is not required. NMc
Manchester City v Aston Villa, Sunday 4pm
Liverpool v Wolves, Sunday 4pm
Continue reading...
More...