Which Premier League Matches Are Crucial for the Title Race?

Every encounter has its particular flavour in the English Premier League (EPL). Still, particular run-ins emerge as pivot points in deciding who’ll wear the champions’ crown. As the season develops, different teams try to lead the way.

However, it’s at the match that registers the largest betting ever where there’s a glare. These showdowns pit the best teams from each category of players against each other. They’re battlefields upon which dreams for ultimate glory can be sustained or shattered instantly.

Several vital games emerge as significant milestones in the high-stakes derby race for the Premier League title. These matches carry importance not just for the points they can win but also because they’re battlefields where players and fans alike have their confidence either boosted or shattered.

From classic derbies to clashes between leading teams and runners-up, these matches often turn out to be the defining moments determining the champion trophy’s destiny. So, let’s look at the handicaps that’ll be decisive in our exciting Premier League Coronation Race.

Arsenal vs. Bournemouth

Despite their recent losses, Arsenal and Bournemouth have both been entertaining affairs, with over three-and-a-half goals per game recorded in the last two encounters. Arsenal have been particularly effective in front of the goal, scoring three or more in their last two meetings with Bournemouth and both league matches against Bournemouth.

Bournemouth lost their away game against Aston Villa 3-1, but they have consistently found the net in their last six league games.

One certainly not to be overlooked is Bukayo Saka, who has starred for Arsenal this season. He contributed nine assists and 15 goals. In this latest confrontation with Bournemouth, Arsenal are expected and hope to depend on some veteran presence, although so much depends on him.

The betting odds are all in favour of Arsenal: the shooting distance from Bournemouth’s goalkeeper’s area has been temporarily changed to 83.3%. Also, in the North London derby against Tottenham, their form immediately improved after they had hit an unfortunate patch. In the previous game, Bournemouth were utterly dominant over Brighton, winning big 3-0 for a fourth straight win on all of their trips as favourites this season.

Both sides have been inclined towards attack football recently, with four out of their last seven meetings involving goals. Indeed, in Bournemouth’s recent league matches, each side scored at least once in four out of the last five games and blasted away without let-up.

Arsenal have the upper hand in head-to-head contests, winning 11, drawing two and losing just one in their last 14 against Bournemouth. Their last meeting ended in a 4-0 win on that occasion back in September. The expected lineups for Arsenal include:

• Raya
• Tomiyasu
• Gabriel
• White
• Saliba
• Partey
• Ødegaard
• Rice
• Havertz
• Trossard
• Saka 

On the other hand, Bournemouth’s predicted lineup features:

• Travers
• Smith
• Senesi
• Kelly
• Cook
• Scott
• Ünal
• Solanke
• Kluivert
• Semenyo
• Ouattara

Man City vs. Wolves

At home in front of their fans, Manchester City has maintained a winning record against Wolves, taking seven of the last eight meetings and drawing the other one. Their only loss came in last season’s last round, October 2019, when Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a 2-0 victory over them.

Since Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester City in 2016, Wolverhampton Wanderers have only done the double over them once, which was in the 2019-20 season. Interestingly, no team has done more than one double against Guardiola in his coaching career.

Manchester City enters the match with an impressive record. They haven’t lost in their last 31 games in all competitions. They won their last 25 matches and drew only six. Manchester United was the last team to surpass such an unbeaten run, going without defeat for 33 games from December to May 1998/99.

Wolves’ away form this season has been uneven. All five of their Premier League away wins have been against sides in the relegation zone or London clubs. However, they have struggled against fellow top-tier teams, losing 18 of 20 away fixtures against sides from the top two. Their only wins against fellow top-tier sides came against Tottenham in December 2018 and Manchester City in October 2019.

Kevin de Bruyne remains Manchester City’s mainstay. With two more assists in the win against Nottingham Forest, he now has 110 Premier League assists, one fewer than Cesc Fabregas for the record.

For Wolverhampton Wanderers, both Matheus Cunha and Hee-Chan were important in front of the net: each scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season. This is quite an achievement when one considers that only three players have scored more in a single season:

• Raul Jimenez in 2018-19 (13 goals) and 2019-20 (17 goals)
• Steven Fletcher in 2011-12 (12 goals)

Liverpool vs. Tottenham

When Liverpool hosts Tottenham, the most common result is a 2-1 scoreline, occurring six times. Overall, the most common result between the two teams is 1-2, happening nine times.

Liverpool has a strong track record at Anfield against Tottenham, winning 20 out of their last 31 encounters, drawing nine times, and losing only twice. Conversely, in their last 66 meetings, Liverpool has won 32 times, while Tottenham has emerged victorious on 15 occasions.

Tottenham’s last away win against Liverpool was in 2011, indicating the challenge they face at Anfield. Last season, Liverpool won both fixtures against Tottenham, securing a 4-3 win at home and a 2-1 victory away. Notably, Liverpool tends to score a significant portion of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, accounting for 35% of their total goals, while Tottenham scores 25% between minutes 46-60.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah leads the scoring charts with 17 goals and has provided the most assists with nine. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min closely follows with 16 goals and nine assists. Both teams have struggled defensively lately, with Tottenham conceding in each of their last six matches.

However, Liverpool has a formidable home record, having not lost to Tottenham in their last 13 encounters at Anfield. With both teams aiming for a crucial win, this match promises to be an exciting encounter for fans of both clubs.