Liverpool on brink of EPL title, Leicester and Ipswich prepare for drop

LONDON – Liverpool can wrap up a record-equalling 20th English title on April 20 when Leicester City and Ipswich Town are both likely to have their relegation from the Premier League confirmed.

After several nail-biting Premier League title races that went down to the wire, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have turned this one into a procession as rivals fell by the wayside.

Outgoing champions Manchester City are currently hanging on to fifth place – safe enough for a Champions League spot – and can ill-afford any slip-ups at a rejuvenated Everton on April 19.

Pep Guardiola’s men kick off the weekend as the team to watch before the rest of the big names play a day later.

Following City’s match, the attention will turn to Liverpool.

Despite trailing City and Arsenal early in the campaign, the Reds have been top for all but one week since Sept 28 and three points at 19th-placed Leicester could see them join Manchester United as England’s most-crowned club.

For that to happen, second-placed Arsenal would also have to lose away to third-from-bottom Ipswich.

But whatever the outcome of this weekend’s games, Slot looks certain to become only the fifth manager to win the Premier League in his debut season in English football – the others being Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (City) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea).

While Liverpool’s second Premier League title in six seasons has looked inevitable, so has Leicester’s return to the Championship after a woeful campaign.

The Foxes snapped an eight-game losing run in the league to draw at Brighton & Hove Albion last week but are 17 points behind 17th-placed West Ham United with six games remaining. Anything other than a shock win over Liverpool will put them down alongside bottom-club Southampton who visit West Ham on April 19.

Ipswich, who are 14 points behind West Ham, may hope that Arsenal are still celebrating beating Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals when they host Mikel Arteta's team at Portman Road on April 20.

The Suffolk club have at least shown some fight this season but defeat by Arsenal, along with wins for West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, would mean that for the second season in a row the three promoted clubs go straight back down.

With the issues at the top and the bottom all but decided, the battle for Champions League qualification is at least providing some tension in the closing weeks.

Arsenal look set to qualify, but the five clubs below them are battling for the three other places.

Third-placed Newcastle United (59 points) visit seventh-placed Aston Villa (54) on April 19 while fourth-placed Nottingham Forest (57) are away at Tottenham Hotspur on April 21.

Chelsea (54) have slipped down to sixth place after successive draws and, with a tough-looking run-in, will be desperate for a victory at Fulham on April 20.

Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton are all still harbouring hopes of qualifying for Europe. Bournemouth are at Crystal Palace on April 19 while Brighton visit Brentford.

Fourteenth-placed Manchester United are on course for their worst finish since 1990 and Ruben Amorim’s side will seek to snap a three-match winless run in the Premier League as they host Wolves on April 20. REUTERS