The end of the football season is drawing ever closer.
At the top of the Premier League, Chelsea appear to be inching towards the title with Tottenham – probably playing the best football of any English team – waiting in the wings should they slip up.
Below them, it’s still far from clear who will make the remaining two Champions League places. In recent weeks, Liverpool, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs appear to have been doing their best to miss out on a top four finish, all of them dropping points in games that they’d usually be expected to win.
As pointed out by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City and Liverpool’s records are similar and it’s a possibility (although probably quite a slim one) that the teams could end up facing each other in a playoff to determine which of them finishes higher in the league table.
Liverpool’s 1-0 win at Watford on Monday evening leaves them three points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side, although the Blues have a game in hand. The clubs’ goal difference is similar (Liverpool +29, City +28) at the moment, although if the teams finish on the same number of points and with the same goal difference, the fact Liverpool have scored more goals at present would see them finish ahead of City in the table.
However, in the unlikely event that both teams finish the season with identical points, goal difference and goals scored records, the MEN suggests that the two clubs might face each other in a one-off match to determine who finishes the higher.
If either United or Arsenal overtake them and the two clubs tie for third, Champions League football could be riding on such a match. If not, and the two clubs tie for third, a play-off will still be used to decide which club qualifies for the Champions League automatically.
If needed, the game would also need to be played on neutral ground, with the MEN also suggesting that either Old Trafford or Goodison Park would be the most likely destinations.
Admittedly, there’s a lot of ‘ifs’ needed for this to happen, but perhaps it’s something to keep an eye on as the season winds down.
