عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Europe Discards Arsenal and Liverpool Shift Focus to EPL Title Race

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp takes his hat off to Liverpool supporters at the end of the Europa League quarterfinal, second leg, soccer match between Atalanta and Liverpool at the Stadio di Bergamo, in Bergamo, Italy, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP)
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp takes his hat off to Liverpool supporters at the end of the Europa League quarterfinal, second leg, soccer match between Atalanta and Liverpool at the Stadio di Bergamo, in Bergamo, Italy, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP)
TT
TT

Europe Discards Arsenal and Liverpool Shift Focus to EPL Title Race

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp takes his hat off to Liverpool supporters at the end of the Europa League quarterfinal, second leg, soccer match between Atalanta and Liverpool at the Stadio di Bergamo, in Bergamo, Italy, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP)
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp takes his hat off to Liverpool supporters at the end of the Europa League quarterfinal, second leg, soccer match between Atalanta and Liverpool at the Stadio di Bergamo, in Bergamo, Italy, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP)

What will it take to win the English Premier League with six games remaining? That’s easy — perfection.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool — all eliminated from their European competitions this week — are locked in a tight battle for the title.

Defending champion City leads both rivals by two points but with Pep Guardiola’s team playing an FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal and Liverpool can gain ground.

“If you want to be champion in the Premier League, you have to be close to perfection,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday ahead of a visit to Fulham on Sunday.

“Anything other than perfect, you have to deal with the setbacks in the best possible way. That’s what we are now doing. We had a setback week,” he said. “Now we have to start turning it around.”

Arsenal, too.

Mikel Arteta’s team gets first crack at retaking the league lead when it visits Wolverhampton on Saturday.

Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa 2-0 last Sunday and was eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

“We don’t have to talk too much, it’s about showing against Wolves what we are made of to turn this situation around and it can look really positive,” Arteta said on Friday.

The second-place Gunners lead Liverpool on goal difference.

Like Arsenal, Klopp’s team lost ground to City last Sunday by losing at home to Crystal Palace 1-0. That was days after a surprise 3-0 loss to Atalanta at Anfield in the Europa League quarterfinals. The Reds won the second leg 1-0 in Bergamo but were still knocked out.

“The boys know that I don’t tell them things which I don’t believe in, and I’m 100% sure we can really win all the football games we have from now on,” Klopp said.

“If we would win all of our games, yeah, there’s a good chance that we will be champion. If not, then there’s a good chance somebody else is there. Maybe we only have to win five or whatever. Nobody knows. Who would have thought that Arsenal lose against Aston Villa? It just happens.”

City, bounced from the Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday, doesn’t play a Premier League game again until Thursday at Brighton.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Kyrgios’ Return to Grand Slam Tennis Is in Doubt Ahead of the Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios of Australia and Novak Djokovic of Serbia (not pictured) hit a return against Michael Venus of New Zealand and Nikola Mektic of Croatia during their men's doubles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 1, 2025. (AFP)
Nick Kyrgios of Australia and Novak Djokovic of Serbia (not pictured) hit a return against Michael Venus of New Zealand and Nikola Mektic of Croatia during their men's doubles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 1, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Kyrgios’ Return to Grand Slam Tennis Is in Doubt Ahead of the Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios of Australia and Novak Djokovic of Serbia (not pictured) hit a return against Michael Venus of New Zealand and Nikola Mektic of Croatia during their men's doubles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 1, 2025. (AFP)
Nick Kyrgios of Australia and Novak Djokovic of Serbia (not pictured) hit a return against Michael Venus of New Zealand and Nikola Mektic of Croatia during their men's doubles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on January 1, 2025. (AFP)

Nick Kyrgios’ planned return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open is in doubt after he sustained an abdominal injury and was forced to withdraw from an exhibition with Novak Djokovic this week.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist, sidelined with wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 US Open, said in an Instagram post Wednesday that an ultrasound scan had revealed an abdominal strain and "unfortunately (I) won’t be able to play my good friend (Djokovic) this Thursday."

He said he’d be resting and doing everything possible to be ready for the Australian Open, which starts Sunday at Melbourne Park.

The mercurial Australian, who has become a popular commentator during his lengthy stints on the injured list, made his competitive comeback last week at Brisbane, where he played one singles match and partnered with Djokovic in two doubles matches.

Djokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena before a 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 loss to Nikola Mektic of Croatia and New Zealander Michael Venus.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley remained confident Kyrgios would play at the year's first major.

"I think it’s just precautionary, that’s the word we’ve got from him," Tiley said Wednesday, responding to questions about the potential absence of the star Australian. "Nick’s not the only one not doing some of their pre-planned matches over the next few days. There’s no concerns ahead of the Open."