On Sunday, the stage was set for firstly Liverpool, and then Arsenal, to return to the top of the table, but both sides failed to take advantage, leaving Manchester City two points clear as leaders with six matches to go.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
35 | +57 | 80 |
| 2 |
Man City
MCI
|
34 | +50 | 79 |
| 3 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
35 | +41 | 75 |
Following their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his side did not deserve to be crowned champions.
"If we play like we did in the first half, why should we win the league?" Klopp told the club's official website.
Liverpool have now dropped five points in their last two league matches, but Klopp believes there were still some positives to take from the setback against the Eagles.
"If you play like in the second half, we can win football games," Klopp added. "So if we can win football games then we will see how many we can win.
"We have to be around when the other guys now struggle, if they struggle, so that's how it is. For us, obviously we have to win football games anyway."
Missed opportunity for Arsenal
Immediately after, Arsenal suffered their first loss of 2024 at the hands of Unai Emery's Aston Villa in a shock 2-0 defeat at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left frustrated that his side were unable to convert their first-half dominance into goals.
“We’re really disappointed and frustrated because of the way we played the first half and the amount of chances and situations we created, how dominant we were and it should have obviously been a very, very different scoreline," he told the club's official website.
“We didn’t capitalise on that and in the second half we struggled much more to get momentum.
"It was a much more even game, and we dropped the level. They increased it and we conceded very poor goals that cost us the game."
Arteta then ended his press conference with a rallying call to the players and fans: “The moment is now that we have to show real character and cohesion and togetherness.
“We have to be full of belief and fully committed to go there to win. That’s the opportunity ahead of us. Things happen for a reason, let’s make it happen.”
'Title chance gone for Arsenal'
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes that Sunday's defeat to Villa has all but ended the Gunners' chances of a first league title in 20 years.
"For me, it's gone - 100 per cent," he told Sky Sports.
"It's completely turned on its head now. Man City put pressure on them by playing first and they couldn't handle it. But take nothing away from Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, they were absolutely outstanding."
Fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville says it's now up to Arteta and his players to put things right in a big week for Arsenal, who travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday before returning to Premier League action at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
"It feels a huge day in this season's title race," said Neville. "A wonderful second half from Villa, Emery and all his players. They were outstanding. They completely turned the tables, they played and they played and they played - and wore Arsenal down.
"Arsenal didn't seem to have the answer. A big, big job now for Arteta this week to make sure that isn't the balloon bursting on this season."