Manchester City: Putting This Year’s Title Race Into Perspective

With the Premier League entering the home stretch this weekend, where does the title race between Manchester City and Liverpool rank historically?

The title race in the English Premier League is razor tight.

As we enter the final eight league matches of the season, just two points separate league leaders Liverpool, who’ve played one game more, from Manchester City.

But as we embark on the final stretch of this Premier League season, where does the current title race rank in the recent history of the league? Just how good have Manchester City and Liverpool been?

Since the English top flight was re-made into the modern day Premier League in 1992-93, few sides have ever been as good as City and Liverpool have.

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Liverpool enter play this weekend on 76 points. That total puts them in a tie for 6th on the all-time list for the best starts in EPL history through Match Day 31. Every team in front of them on the list (Manchester City 17-18, Chelsea 04-05, Manchester United 06-07, Chelsea 05-06, Manchester United 12-13) went on to win the league.

Manchester City’s points total of 74, on one fewer game played than Liverpool, puts them in sole possession of tenth. If City were to win at Fulham this weekend, they’d move into sole possession of sixth on the best start list through Match Day 31.

Of the 19 teams to get 70 or more points through 31 games, only two have failed to win the league. More on this in a second.

If both teams were to continue getting points at the pace they have so far, their historical ranking becomes even greater. Liverpool are currently on pace to finish with just over 93 points (93.15). If they reached that total, that would put them in a tie for third on the all-time EPL points total list with 2005-06 Chelsea.

Manchester City are on pace for 93.76 points, or when rounded up, 94. If City finished with that total, they’d be in sole possession of 3rd, only behind 2004-05 Chelsea (who finished with 95), and their record shattering 100 point team from last year.

When you broaden the picture out to goal difference, it puts both teams in an even better light.

Liverpool’s goal difference currently stands at +52. That total, through Match Day 31, puts them fifth all-time. Manchester City, who hold an even better goal differential of +58, sit second all-time, nine goals off their record setting-pace of last season (with one fewer game played).

In terms of their points total and their closeness to each other in the table, there’s almost no historical parallel for this particular title race in the history of the Premier League. Two particular teams and races, however, stand out and are worth discussing now.

Of the sides to accumulate 70 or more points through 31 games, only two have failed to go on and win the league.

The first team to fail to do it was Chelsea in 2003-04. That year, Chelsea had 70 points through match day 31. However, they found themselves five points adrift of league leaders Arsenal. That 2003-04 Arsenal side, of course, was one of the greatest to ever grace the pitches of England.

Arsenal would go on to finish with 90 points and no losses, the only team in the history of the Premier League to earn the title of “The Invincibles.” Chelsea would get just nine more points over their remaining seven fixtures and finish 11 adrift of the eventual champions.