AP – The title race between Manchester City and Arsenal is headed to the wire.
The fight for Champions League qualification has tightened up. It’s surely down to two from a group of four teams for relegation.
Here’s a look at the state of play at the top and the bottom:
TITLE RACE
As many expected, defending champions Manchester City have produced their trademark end-of-season burst to move into first place ahead of long-time leader Arsenal, which stuttered just when a first title since 2004 was looming into view.
City – enjoying a 10-match winning run in the league – lead by one point with four games left, one more than Arsenal.
It’s far from over, however. City have the tougher run-in, with games to come at an Everton team fighting relegation, at home against Chelsea, and then at Brighton and Brentford – two of the more surprising teams this season with good home records.
If Arsenal win their final three games, City will need three victories in their final four games to guarantee retaining the title.
TOP FOUR
It has looked for some time that Newcastle and Manchester United would secure the two automatic Champions League qualifying places behind City and Arsenal, but Liverpool’s six-match winning run has made things interesting.
Liverpool likely need to win its remaining three games – at Leicester, at home against Aston Villa and at last-place Southampton – and hope either Newcastle or United slip up.
Newcastle will finish the season with games against Leeds, Brighton, Leicester and Chelsea.
United have a kind final stretch on paper, though, with three of four matches at home (Wolverhampton, Chelsea and Fulham) along with Bournemouth away.
