Liverpool needs a maximum of 11 points to get over the line and win the Premier League title this season. But in reality, it won’t take that many —unless Arsenal wins seven matches in a row.
The Gunners have not won more than three games on the spin in the league so far this season and Mikel Arteta made his stance on the title race clear before Arsenal drew with Everton last weekend. The Spaniard rested several players including Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka with the visit of Real Madrid in the Champions League in mind, strongly hinting that even he has lost hope domestically.
That was before Liverpool performed poorly and lost at Fulham but nothing will have changed. In the bigger picture, it is a matter of when and not if the Reds are confirmed as Premier League champion.
So when might it be? Liverpool has West Ham United next weekend, by which time Arsenal will have played Brentford at home — a game sandwiched between its two Real Madrid clashes.
On Easter weekend, Liverpool travels to Leicester City and Arsenal visits Ipswich Town. And the weekend after that, the Reds have Spurs at home while the Gunners have Crystal Palace a few days earlier as a result of Oliver Glasner’s side being in the FA Cup semi-finals when that fixture was meant to be played.
Arsenal’s focus for the next couple of weeks won’t exclusively be on Real Madrid, but it won’t be far off. For that reason, more dropped points cannot be ruled out in the league.
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When Liverpool travels to Chelsea at the start of May, Arsenal hosts Bournemouth earlier in the same weekend. And then the pair meet at Anfield on matchday 36.
Liverpool finishes the season with a trip to Brighton and a home match against Crystal Palace, while Arsenal hosts Newcastle and then travels to an already relegated Southampton.
Needing 11 points if Arsenal wins each of its games, Liverpool is therefore hunting for four wins from seven matches. If both teams win their next four, that would mean the Reds being confirmed as Premier League winners against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Otherwise, there might still be something riding on the meeting between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield in May. It seems likelier, though, that the Gunners might be taking part in a guard of honor that day rather than the 90 minutes being meaningful.
