Manchester City 0-0 Arsenal each took what they wanted, Liverpool rose to the top of the table, and the Premier League title situation is still unclear
Manchester City and Arsenal won the title in the first place, with heavy thunder, little rain, a dull situation, a 0-0 stunt, and then put Liverpool, who had beaten Brighton earlier, to the top of the Premier League, but for both sides, it was not the worst result for both sides to get the point they needed.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola put away a lot of attacking players, using Rodri and Mateo Kovacic, with two backs with four defenders who are stronger than attacking, the idea of winning in a stable way is very obvious; Martinelli used Jesus in the hope of using Jesus's better physical fitness and ball control skills, which not only added an extra fulcrum on the front line, but also helped to assist the defense, after all, Gabriel Martinelli is strong on counterattacks, but the defensive efficiency is average.
The conservative approach of both sides left few chances to score, and in the 15th minute, Manchester City goalkeeper Natan Ake received a corner kick close to the top, but the angle was too close to be confiscated by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who should have the best chance of scoring in the game. City brought in Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish in the second half, and they strengthened their side attacks, shooting more than in the first half (four in the first half and eight in the second), but there were few really dangerous shots, and the result was only 0.95-0.68 xG (expected goal rate), which showed that the two teams were in a dull battle.
Although this outcome has benefited Liverpool Fishermen, who are temporarily at the top of the table with a record of 67 points from 29 games, Arsenal is 2 points behind, and Manchester City is in third place with 64 points, but it is believed that the coaches of the two armies Arteta and Pep Guardiola will not be too disappointed.
Let's talk about "Arsenal" first, although they ended the momentum of 8 consecutive wins in the league, but they can get 1 point away from Manchester City, and they can definitely "receive", you need to know that "Blue Moon" has not tasted defeat at home this season. Moreover, Arsenal are unbeaten in the league this season, with one win and one draw against both sides, which will help strengthen their confidence in the future.
Arsenal also have two other advantages in the title race, one is that five of their remaining nine games are at home, one more than Liverpool and Manchester City, and the other is that they have a better goal difference. Arsenal have scored 70 goals and conceded just 24, the best in the league in both attack and defence, resulting in a goal difference of +46, six more than Liverpool and 11 more than Manchester City. In such an evenly matched situation, goal difference can be the difference between victory and defeat in the end.
For Manchester City, just one point at home is certainly not the best, but holding on to one is certainly not the worst, after all, they are only three points behind, and with their tradition of breaking out at the end of the season, it is not difficult to come back and win. In addition, Manchester City's remaining fixtures are relatively easy, although they will face Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in fourth and fifth place, but Arsenal and Liverpool also have these two opponents, and Arsenal also have to visit Manchester United and host the "nerve knife" Chelsea; Liverpool also needs to visit Old Trafford next Sunday, which has lost in the past two seasons, no wonder "Blue Moon" manager Pep Guardiola still looks confident after the game.
Although Liverpool are temporarily ahead, the advantage is not obvious, the schedule is not particularly easy to play, the goal difference is not as good as Arsenal, and the most important thing is that the main player Salah has not yet returned to his best form; although the Egyptian winger scored a goal against Brighton in this game, he wasted more chances, in fact, the same is true against Manchester United in the FA Cup, and several counter-attacks have been handled with less speed and decisiveness in previous seasons, and if Salah does not return to his former level, it will greatly affect the Reds' chances of winning the title.
The Reds' biggest "advantage" in the race for the title may be that manager Jurgen Klopp has already announced his departure at the end of the season, which has boosted the team's morale, and the generals have often been able to play beyond the standard in order to have a happy ending for the decorated manager, as was the case with the Reds beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final with a group of rookies.
After the big battle, the title race is still uncertain, and there are still too many variables in the remaining nine games, and it can be expected that this season's Premier League title battle will definitely be much more intense and compact than this Man-A match.