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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Joe Bray

Premier League announcement hands Man City big title race advantage vs Liverpool FC

As attention turns away from a gripping week of Champions League semi-final first-legs and back towards the Premier League, prepare for more talk of fixture schedules and TV rights.

Manchester City have an extra 29 hours to prepare for their Premier League fixture this week, as Liverpool were in action on Wednesday evening and then travel to Newcastle for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.

It's not ideal for City to have Liverpool kicking off first in a weekend, and they'll do it the following week too, however the news this week of the final fixtures being given dates has ensured City have the upper hand going into the final two weeks of the title race.

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After this week, when City travel to Leeds, Liverpool host Tottenham next Saturday before the Blues host Newcastle on the Sunday. Then, City have been told that their outstanding fixture away to Wolves will be played on May 11 - a week before Liverpool's rearranged trip to Southampton due to their FA Cup final on May 14.

That means that City will have the chance to open up a four-point gap between May 11 and May 17, assuming they match Liverpool's results until then.

So City will be able to establish a mental advantage in the final week, all while Liverpool have an FA Cup final to focus on. It arguably equals out the scheduling of the next two game weeks, which allows Liverpool to put the pressure on City by going top.

For Liverpool to have an FA Cup final and long trip to Southampton while City are able to put all of their focus on the final day against Aston Villa, can be used to their advantage, even if they may be disappointed not to be in the cup final themselves.

Another advantage the fixture schedule provides is the chance for City to be crowned champions before that final day showdown, potentially without kicking a ball that week.

Should City win all of their games, and Liverpool lost one of their next four - they face Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Southampton - then City would go into the final day four points ahead with just three points left to play for.

With Liverpool playing one more game between now and the end of the season, City may be looking at that Southampton game as a potential coronation night if their fixture list catches up with them. Pep Guardiola will always prefer the chance to put points on the board rather than rely on games-in-hand, and he will remember the nerves in the final-week win over Leicester in 2019, with a moment of magic from Vincent Kompany needed to break the tension.

The Blues will continue to follow Guardiola's directive that they must win all their games to win the title, with anything less handing Liverpool the league. However, this final Premier League announcement should benefit them more than chasers Liverpool in the crucial final week of the title race.

Who knows, maybe City could then take some momentum into a potential Champions League final with the Reds.

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