The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-22)

The Sunday Times May 22, 2022 3

Arsenal v Everton

Arsenal must win and hope

Tottenham lose to finish in a

Champions League place.

Brentford v Leeds United

Leeds need a result that is

better than Burnley’s to avoid

relegation.

Brighton & Hove Albion v

West Ham United

If West Ham win and Man Utd

fail to defeat, the London side

go into the Europa League.

Burnley v Newcastle United

Burnley must match Leeds’

result v Brentford to stay up.

Chelsea v Watford

Stamford Bridge bids farewell

to the Abramovich era.

Crystal Palace v Man United

United may have to win, or

hope West Ham don’t, to

avoid slipping into the Europa

Conference League.

Leicester City v Southampton

Prize money is the only thing

at stake in this game.

Liverpool v Wolves

Man City v Aston Villa

Liverpool must win and hope

City don’t to snatch the title.

Norwich City v Tottenham

A Spurs draw will be enough

for a fourth-placed finish.

(All matches kick off at 4pm.

Live coverage Sky Sports

Main Event/Premier League/

Football)

TODAY’S PREMIER

LEAGUE MATCHES

AND WHO NEEDS TO

DO WHAT

TEAM OF THE SEASON

De Bruyne Rice Foden

Alexander-

Arnold

Rüdiger Van Dijk Cancelo

Alisson

Salah Bowen Son

2009-10: Chelsea
Chelsea went into their match
at Stamford Bridge one
point ahead of United
and they wrapped up the
title with an 8-0
demolition of Wigan
Athletic, rendering
United’s 4-0
win against
Stoke City
meaningless.

2011-12: Manchester City

The “Agüeerrrro” moment.

The City forward sealed a

first league title in 44

years with a stoppage-

time winner against

Queens Park Rangers.

United won 1-0 at

Sunderland, but City

landed the title on

goal difference.

2013-14: Manchester City

Liverpool collapsed in the

final weeks of the

season — losing to

Chelsea and

drawing to

Crystal Palace —

to allow City to

win a second

title in two years

with a

comfortable 2-0

victory over West

Ham.

2018-19: Manchester City

City, led by Vincent Kompany,

inset, held off Liverpool

with a 4-1 win against

Brighton and Hove

Albion — despite

Jürgen Klopp’s

team claiming 97

points after a 2-0

win on the last

day at home

against

Wolverhampton

Wanderers, the side they

face today.

e one

ited

d up the

an

g

The City forw

first league

years with a

time winn

Queens

United w

Sunder

landed

goal d

When the Champions League

final ends on Saturday,

Liverpool will have played 63

games in 287 days — an

average of a club game every

4.5 days. It’s also the longest

an English club has ever gone

into a season with their

quadruple hopes still alive.

Chelsea in 2006-07 had their

bid ended on May 1. Liverpool

have reached May 22.

Research: Aadam Patel

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

PL points since Aug 2018

355

354

276

Manchester City

Liverpool

Chelsea

Games played this season

62

61

57

Chelsea

Liverpool

Manchester City

‘The hope for

Liverpool is City’s

implosion against

Real may prove

more than a one-off ’

season, regardless what happens. For

him, today is simply to be enjoyed.

Klopp described the present

period as the “most exciting” of his

management career. “I’ve been lucky

enough to have had a few exciting

times,” he said. “My missus asks why

[do your teams] always go down to the

last match day.

“It happens incredibly often and

this is the most exciting one, because

seeing how good the boys are and see-

ing the steps that we’ve made and just

two games to go... it’s unbelievable.

“It feels like five minutes ago it was

seven games. Now, wham, here we go,

two finals. It’s the most exciting time

of my career.”

But Guardiola seems equally relish-

ing of this moment. City could win a

fourth crown in five seasons, a level of

Premier League dominance only ever

achieved by United, at Ferguson’s

peak. “It would be great,” he said.

“You know when I arrived, people

here said the Premier League is so

difficult, it is the toughest.

“Just Sir Alex was able to win four in

five years and you realise the magni-

tude [of that achievement]. We are

close to doing it.”

Guardiola was informed by veteran

journalists on the Manchester patch

that much as City prevailing would

pain United supporters, they would

rather that than a Liverpool title. “Are

you sure? Yeah? So United likes City

more than Liverpool? Oh my God, I

didn’t know it,” said Guardiola, dis-

solving in laughter. “Is it true?”

When assured it was, he quipped

“so I was wrong when I say everyone

wants Liverpool in this country! Yeah,

welcome. Welcome [United fans] if

they want to join us in the street.

“But they have to wear the blue

shirt.”

The Premier League is epic, out-

landish and ludicrous — but that

would be a plot line too far.

ON TV TODAY

Man City v Aston Villa (Sky Sports

Main Event) Liverpool v Wolves

(Sky Sports PL). Both kick-off 4pm

spreading easygoing vibes since Mon-

day, when City’s squad was treated to

a meal at an Italian restaurant by Fer-

nandinho, who bids farewell today.

Guardiola allowed his players to

drink alcohol and visit a bar, and gave

them Tuesday and Wednesday off. It

seems smart management. In a simi-

lar way, Sir Alex Ferguson would

always look to relieve pressure before

season-defining games.

In 1998-99, as Manchester United

went for the Treble, he took his play-

ers clay-pigeon shooting before the FA

Cup final and on the eve of the Cham-

pions League, United’s training ses-

sion at the Nou Camp was “the most

relaxed one we ever had”, according

to Peter Schmeichel. It involved

almost no tactical work and a game of

Fergie’s favourite exercise, “boxes” —

which even he joined in with.

City fans are drawing reassurance

on this being the tenth anniversary of

the “Agüeerrrro!” goal, and their team

scoring on 93:20 to secure their first

Premier League title. That was the

ultimate test of nerve and City passed.

Guardiola has told his players there

are likely to be moments this after-

noon when the race seems in the bal-

ance but to trust in themselves.

“Maybe we have to live something

unexpected or uncomfortable but

what can we do? React the best way

and don’t give up,” he said.

The hope for Liverpool is City’s

implosion against Real Madrid in the

Champions League may prove to be

more than a one-off, that they are the

equivalent of the brilliant boxer

undermined by a glass jaw.

Jürgen Klopp, with two domestic

cups in the bag and the Champions

League final to look forward to, knows

that for Liverpool this is a marvel of a

PREMIER LEAGUE

PW D L F AGD Pts

1 Man City 37 28 6 3 96 24 7290

2 Liverpool 37 27 8 2 91 25 6689

3 Chelsea 37 20 11 6 74 32 4271

4 Tottenham 37 21 5 11 64 402468

5 Arsenal 37 21 3 13 56 47 966

6 Man Utd 37 16 10 11 57 56 158

7 West Ham 37 16 8 13 59 48 1156

8 Wolves 37 15 6 16 37 40 -3 51

9 Leicester 37 13 10 14 58 58 049

10 Brighton 37 11 1511 39 43 -4 48

11 Brentford 37 13 7 17 47 54 -7 46

12 Newcastle 37 12 10 15 42 61 -19 46

13 Crystal Palace 37 10 15 12 49 46 345

14 Aston Villa 37 13 6 18 50 51 -1 45

15 Southampton 37 9 13 15 42 63 -21 40

16 Everton 37 11 6 20 42 61 -19 39

17 Burnley 37 7 14 16 33 51 -18 35

18 Leeds 37 8 11 18 4078 -38 35

19 Watford (R) 37 6 5 26 33 75 -42 23

20 Norwich (R) 37 5 7 25 2379 -56 22

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In 1998-99,

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relaxed one w

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Premier Leag

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Guardiola has

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what can we

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The hope

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more than a o

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Jürgen Klo

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League final to

that for Liverp

Kevin De Bruyne has been voted

Premier League player of the

season for the second time while

his Manchester City team-mate

Phil Foden, inset, won the young

player of the season for the

second successive campaign.

Both players have been crucial

in City’s attempt to retain the title.

De Bruyne has scored 15 goals

and provided seven assists while

Foden has scored nine goals with

five assists.

Foden said: “To be

nominated

alongside

so many

great

players is

an honour

as they have all had

great seasons for

their clubs.”

CITY WIN PLAYER

OF THE YEAR DOUBLE

B

ing

fou

Pre

ach

p

di

“

five

tud

s.

aid: “To be

d

ve all had

ons for

s.”