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

The Race Which Most Resembles This Year

That leads us to our second team, and perhaps the title race that most closely mirrors the one we’re witnessing now: Manchester United in 2011-12.

Manchester United had come from behind through the half-way point of the season to get 76 points through Match Day 31, the same total that Liverpool has now.

Manchester City, who had dominated the league for most of that season, were five points adrift at 71. It was beginning to look as if City had blown their chance to end the dominance of their arrogant neighbors and were going to come runners up in the most disappointing of fashions.

Things, of course, played out in the most theatrical way possible, culminating with the greatest finish to an EPL season ever where City ended decades of misery by snatching the title in the finals seconds of the final game.

Both of the sides we’re currently witnessing are arguably even better than those City and United sides were then.

Both hold a superior goal difference through 31 games. Liverpool have lost just once all season.

What we’re witnessing is a clash of the titans that’s on par with the slug fests that we saw in La Liga at the height of Barcelona and Madrid’s power at the beginning of this decade. These are two historically great sides dueling it out.

Regardless of how the remaining fixtures play out, one thing remains clear: Whoever wins the EPL Title this season deserves it.

These are two of the best teams we’ve seen in the Premier League. Both have played more than up to the level that’s required to win the league. Even if the advanced stats suggest City have been a bit better than Liverpool to this point, both have grinded out results or played their opponents off the pitch all season.

Here’s to hoping when the final whistle blows in May that City are the ones that are hoisting the trophy once again.