EPL title race down to the wire

LONDON • The 2021-22 Premier League race will come down to this - if Manchester City beat Aston Villa at home on Sunday, they will win their fourth English top-flight title in five years.

Pep Guardiola's side could have virtually sealed the title and denied Liverpool the opportunity to claim an unprecedented quadruple had they beaten Europa League-chasing West Ham away yesterday.

But City dropped two points in a 2-2 draw, ensuring the title fight will go to the final weekend of the season.

The Reds can close the gap, now standing at four points, to one if they defeat Southampton tomorrow. But, regardless of what Liverpool do, Guardiola's men now know that one more victory will guarantee their season does not end without silverware.

Given the way City fought back in the second half, he will look back at the game at the London Stadium with equal parts pride and frustration.

The visitors exhibited grit in cancelling out Jarrod Bowen's double, which meant the hosts had a 2-0 lead going into the break. The comeback started when Jack Grealish pulled one back for City early in the second half before Vladimir Coufal scored an own goal after a wicked Riyad Mahrez delivery.

However, Mahrez turned villain four minutes from time, missing a golden chance to seal the victory after he missed a penalty, awarded following Craig Dawson's foul on Gabriel Jesus in the penalty box.

It was a miss that left an ashen expression on Guardiola's face, but with City's makeshift backline unable to contain the irrepressible Bowen, who grabbed his 11th and 12th league goals of the season, it was perhaps a fair result.

It had been 10 years since City last came from two goals down to draw in the league and 17 years since they came back from such a deficit to win, so Guardiola was satisfied as the draw means the title is still theirs to decide.

After sharing a celebratory hug at the full-time whistle with long-serving Hammers skipper Mark Noble, who will bring the curtain down on his 18-year, one-club career at the end of the season, he said: "We played more than a decent first half but more than difficult to attack them. More than pleased to fight back against this West Ham, in this stadium."

On Sunday's finale against Villa, he added: "In one week, our stadium will be sold out and we will give them all of our lives over 95 minutes and they will give us their lives. It is an incredible privilege to have the chance with our people at home to win one game to be champions. I'm looking forward to it.

"Against this Liverpool... You have to fight until the end. The big privilege is that it is at home and it is in our hands."

Asked if he had a message for Southampton, Guardiola joked: "My message to them is to win 4-0. If I'm at home, I will watch it."

At the bottom of the table, a stoppage-time header from substitute Pascal Struijk snatched Leeds a crucial 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion to lift them out of the drop zone.

Jesse Marsch's side are a point above Burnley (34), who lost 1-0 at Tottenham, but the Clarets hold a game in hand on their relegation rivals and will play Villa on Thursday.

REUTERS