This year has seen Manchester City and Liverpool take the Premier League title race right down to the wire, but if the remaining games fall in a certain way things could get even more tense.
So, it’s incredibly unlikely, but if the remaining results turn out in a particular fashion for both teams, they could end up needed a playoff to decide the destination of the title.
Essentially a Premier League final.
It’s extremely unlikely, but it could still happen, and here’s how.
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As things are, City have a one-point advantage with four matches left to play, meaning that four more wins will see them crowned champions regardless of what the Reds do.
Liverpool need snookers at the minute, and neither side seems in the mood to give anything up – putting aside City’s Champions League capitulation against Real Madrid earlier this week.
Another key factor that could come into play is the goal difference, in which Liverpool currently lead by one goal.
Both games between the two juggernauts ended 2-2, meaning that there’s no advantage for either side to gain there.
In short, Liverpool need to gain a point more than City before the end of the season, but City need to score one more goal.
It’s not totally out of the question, is it?
It’s also probably the closest the Premier League has been to a potential playoff match for a long time.
Whilst it has never happened, this rule is provisioned for in the Premier League’s handbook.
That handbook states: “If two clubs cannot be separated by operation of Rule C.17.1 and C.17.2, a play-off on a neutral ground, the format, timing and venue of which shall be determined by the board”.
So, this weekend Liverpool host Spurs – a tricky tie – and if they win 1-0 and City beat Newcastle – another potential banana skin – 3-1 then the goal difference will be the same.
All it would then take would be City to lose one game before the end of the season and Liverpool pick up a draw, and we’d be set for a playoff.
Say it went Aston Villa 1 – 0 Liverpool and Wolves 0 – 2 Man City the following weekend, then West Ham 1 – 0 Man City and Southampton 1 – 2 Liverpool the next, followed by final day results of Liverpool 1 – 1 Wolves and Man City 2 – 1 Aston Villa.
That would place both sides on 92 points, with a goal difference of 67 and exactly the same amount of goals
This scenario isn’t outside the realms of possibility and given the way this season has played out between the two top sides, the odds of 80/1 look pretty good value for money for the punter.
Topics: Liverpool, Manchester City, Football, Premier League
Tom Wood