The Premier League doesn’t at all times serve up a title race, however this season now we have been rewarded with the rarest of items: a three-way struggle for the highest spot.
There was little or no to separate Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis this season, and with simply a few factors separating the trio of high-achieving golf equipment it’s anybody’s guess who will come out on prime in Could.
That is solely the fourth time in a 38-game marketing campaign that three groups have vied for the title deep into the season, which seems to be a once-in-a-decade phenomenon. Get pleasure from it whereas it lasts – who is aware of once we will see one other one.
The three-way Premier League title races:
1995/96
Newcastle United’s collapse was each spectacular and agonising to observe in actual time. Halfway by means of the season Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers boasted a ten-point lead over Man United, and prolonged that to 12 factors in February. By mid-March they had been stage, albeit the Geordies had two video games in hand. Ultimately they completed 4 factors behind the Crimson Devils.
Alex Ferguson’s facet, nonetheless smarting over surrendering the Premier League to Blackburn a 12 months prior, dealt important blows in December and March, successful 2-0 at Previous Trafford and 1-0 at St James’ Park respectively. The latter is a sport they need to have finally gained just for Peter Schmeichel pulling out the efficiency of a lifetime.
Liverpool put themselves within the title dialog within the second half of the season, earlier than finally fading away as they gained simply 4 of their closing ten matches. However they did ship the decisive blow t Newcastle at Anfield, successful 4-3 in what has gone down as one of many biggest video games in Premier League historical past.
The 1995/96 marketing campaign, although, is most famously remembered for Keegan’s well-known rant dwell on Sky Sports activities when he declared that Newcastle had been “nonetheless preventing for this title” and would “like it if we beat them”.
The fiery speech got here within the wake of Ferguson casting doubt on the dedication of Leeds and Nottingham Forest to strive as laborious in opposition to Newcastle as they did Man United. Keegan took the bait, shedding the thoughts video games earlier than shedding on the pitch.
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2001/02
On 23 April 2002, Arsenal led Liverpool by a degree with Manchester United an additional level again – and the Gunners went on to clinch the title in essentially the most commanding vogue attainable.
Arsenal had been part-way by means of a run of 11 consecutive wins at that time, and would find yourself with simply three defeats throughout the season as they sealed the title by beating United at Previous Trafford.
Fittingly, Arsene Wenger’s costs had been draped in gold as Sylvain Wiltord shot the north Londoners to glory for the workforce’s second title in 4 years.
Liverpool had been runners-up whereas United completed outdoors the highest two for the primary time since 1991, however they might bounce again to regain prime spot the next season.
The longest ever unbeaten runs in Europe’s prime 4 leagues
2013/14
By as late as 6 Could 2014, solely two factors separated Liverpool, Man Metropolis and Chelsea within the Premier League desk – and but, it’s by no means remembered as a 3 horse race.
That’s principally all the way down to the spectacular nature of Liverpool’s collapse, however it’s additionally as a result of Chelsea fully bottled it. Jose Mourinho’s males had been on prime for 2 months straight between February and April, however defeats to an terrible Aston Villa facet, Crystal Palace and Sunderland derailed their problem.
All the identical, Chelsea had the largest say within the title race, defeating Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield following Steven Gerrard’s well-known slip. A 3-3 draw with Palace adopted for Liverpool, wherein Tony Pulis’s workforce got here from three targets down, to successfully seal the trophy for Man Metropolis.
Solely 4 factors separated first from third in the long run. The Blues went on to win the league the next season, mitigating their bottle job from the prior 12 months, whereas Liverpool fell again into the pack as also-rans.
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Moments that made the Premier League – Collymore sinks Newcastle in Anfield epic
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