Will there be any championship suspense in the Premier League?
In midweek, Chelsea were forced to draw by Brighton in the 24th round of the Premier League, and with one more game, the gap with the leader Manchester City is still 12 points. Considering that Chelsea still have the Task of the Club World Cup in February, it can be basically judged that Chelsea are not related to this season's Premier League title.
Manchester City's road to defending the title seems to be a smooth road.
However, manager Guardiola is always sober. As the Olmikron strain ravaged the European and American continents, the Premier League was not spared, and Liverpool also broke out a large-scale infection. According to the official epidemic prevention regulations of the Premier League - isolation with fewer infections and delays with more infections. Liverpool postponed two games, the Premier League dropped 22 rounds, but Liverpool only played 21 games, 11 points less than Manchester City in 1 game less.
Supposedly, this gap is basically related to the championship, but Guardiola calmly said: if Liverpool win the lesser game, then the difference between the two sides should be 8 points.
This is Guardiola's self-effacing or psychological warfare. But there is one thing to say, Manchester City's biggest competitor on the way to defending the title is undoubtedly Liverpool, if the point difference becomes 8 points, the suspense of this season's Premier League championship may be as Klopp said: the 8-point difference is normally hopeless to win the championship, but this season is not normal.
In this round of the Premier League, Manchester City rushed to St Mary's Stadium to challenge Southampton. Supposedly, this would have been a great opportunity for United to extend their winning streak to 13 and continue to extend their lead. However, in the first leg of the season at the Etihad, the Saints drew the defending champions and ended the Blue Moon's three-game winning streak.
In that game, Manchester City's 16-foot shot was only 1 foot on target, and Sterling's kill was judged to be offside. Guardiola's worries don't seem to be unreasonable...
Sure enough, just 7 minutes into the opening, Walker Pitts received Raymond's pass in the penalty area and shot into the far corner, and Ederson was caught off guard and could only watch the ball into the net.
The Saints' opening onslaught was greatly unexpected by Guardiola, and after a rush, Broa's powerful shot after bursting into the box knocked Ederson's ten fingers off, fortunately because the offside was judged to be invalid first, Blue Moon escaped the fatal blow.
After escaping the disaster, Manchester City finally picked up the spirit and began to fight back.
Sterling, who has recently returned to his state, has sat firmly in the main position, and the renewal of salary seems to be just around the corner, and the mood is very good. But as a senior spokesperson for happy football, Sterling's inner happiness is naturally infinite. Foden's cross after breaking through had already drawn an empty prairie for Sterling, but Sterling's push in front of the goal was blocked by Foster's leg, who had lost his center of gravity.
At this scene, Guardiola can only sigh in vain.
After that, the goalpost refused Broia's close-range header, and Manchester City escaped again. Rodri's long-range shot was also blocked by the crossbar, and in a moment of crisis, De Bruyne saved the defending champions with a precise pass, and Laporte's header broke the goal to return the two sides to the same running line.
After the equaliser, City continued to pounce, but unfortunately the goalpost once again rejected the defending champions' desire to take away three points. De Bruyne and Jesus' shots were turned off by the uprights, ending City's 12-game winning streak and failing to extend the lead.
Guardiola's fears seem to have become a fact, as Klopp led Liverpool to a 3-1 away win over Crystal Palace, the gap between the two sides narrowed to 9 points, and if Liverpool could win the make-up match against Leeds United, the gap would be only 6 points!
6 points, meaning the suspense of the Premier League's title is back...