The destiny of the Premier League trophy will not be decided this weekend, but Manchester City's top-of-the-table showdown with Liverpool at the Etihad could give a very clear indication as to which side will propel themselves to the crown.

The gap between the two sides at the top of the table now stands at just one point, with the reigning champions just about holding off the threat of the Reds for the time being.

Both sides head into the meeting off the back of Champions League quarter-final first-leg wins, with City getting the better of Atletico Madrid 1-0 while Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners over Benfica.

It has only taken two draws and a loss for City to lose their grip on what seemed certain to be a sixth Premier League crown, as Liverpool continued to rampage forwards while Southampton, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur dented Pep Guardiola's dreams of back-to-back glory.

At one stage eight points clear at the top of the rankings having played the same amount of games as Liverpool - 14 at one point having played two games more - City are still fighting for success on three fronts this season after ceding their customary EFL Cup crown to the Reds.

City's title destiny is still in their own hands, though, and victory on their own turf would see them open up a potentially-unassailable four-point gap at the summit heading into the final seven games of the season, but a Champions League quarter-final second leg with Atletico and a reunion with Liverpool in the semi-finals of the FA Cup represents a gruelling Easter period for the Citizens.

Heading into Sunday's game at the Etihad with the wind in their sails was therefore of paramount importance for Man City, who eased to a 2-0 win at Burnley through Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan's efforts before eventually managing to find their way through the low block of Atletico.

With Diego Simeone's side appearing to deploy a 5-5-0 formation in the hopes of keeping the scoreline respectable before welcoming City to the Wanda Metropolitano, the Citizens were incapable of finding their way through the packed backline - and even then they had to somehow beat the ever-reliable Jan Oblak.

However, the introduction of Phil Foden breathed new life into Man City, who will take a first-leg advantage to Madrid after De Bruyne's 70th-minute strike from Foden's assist, and the dream of a domestic and continental treble is still well and truly alive for the English champions.

City will take an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions into Sunday's top-of-the-table battle - winning six of them, including each of their last three - and they have conceded a mere two goals in that stretch; no mean feat with the effervescent Ruben Dias watching on from the treatment room.

Conceding just 18 goals in 30 Premier League games this season unsurprisingly gives City the label of the division's best defensive side this term, while 40 goals on home soil is also the best of its kind - even if Liverpool have gleaned more points on familiar territory this season.

Not since October have City failed to find the back of the net in a Premier League game at the Etihad - winning eight of their last nine such matches alongside that shock defeat to Tottenham - but Liverpool have all the motivation that they need to consign City to a potentially fatal defeat.

MATCH PREDICTION
Manchester City 1-3 Liverpool

Liverpool must collect.!!!!

For sure.!!!

Kpokpoogri:
Liverpool must collect.!!!!

For sure.!!!

Bad belle

supernova96:

Bad belle

Be Like Na Arsenal Fan

It's gonna be 0-0

supernova96:

Bad belle