Manchester City Target Premier League Title Shift Amid Rising Pressure on Frank and Howe
Manchester City have the opportunity to intensify the pressure on Premier League frontrunners Arsenal by narrowing the lead to a mere three points during their Wednesday clash with Fulham, just a day prior to the Gunners heading to a resurgent Brentford.
Arsenal hold the advantage in their pursuit of a first championship in over two decades, yet City's thrilling comeback victory over Liverpool on Sunday might mark a pivotal moment for Pep Guardiola's team.
A further loss has further weakened Liverpool's hopes of securing Champions League spots, and Arne Slot's depleted roster now confronts another challenging away fixture against Sunderland in the midweek.
Tottenham and Newcastle find themselves in even greater difficulty near the lower end of the standings, fuelling uncertainty regarding the positions of their managers Thomas Frank and Eddie Howe.
AFP Sports examines three key discussion points from the upcoming midweek matches:
Could City deliver a title race surprise?
Bernardo Silva revealed that even the Manchester City squad believed the title contest might have been effectively decided if they had not overturned a 1-0 disadvantage in the final six minutes at Anfield.
The key query is if this remarkable triumph for Guardiola's outfit can serve as the foundation for securing yet another league crown.
City have developed a pattern of powerful late surges across Guardiola's six successful title campaigns in England, although they have only claimed victory in two of their seven league encounters in 2026.
"We must maintain faith and begin securing victories. That is ultimately what counts," remarked Erling Haaland, who is placing greater expectations on his own performance during the closing stages of the title chase.
The Norwegian dominates the race for the Golden Boot but has netted only once from open play in his previous 13 outings.
"I have not managed sufficient goals since the beginning of this year, and I recognise the need to elevate my game," Haaland appended.
Featuring a series of advantageous matches ahead of Arsenal's visit to the Etihad in mid-April, City possess the potential to genuinely challenge the Gunners' resolve in the final stretch.
Mikel Arteta's squad have recovered from their own early-year dip with four consecutive triumphs across all tournaments.
However, an upbeat Brentford, who have suffered defeat only twice on home soil throughout the campaign, will pose a formidable examination of Arsenal's credentials for the title.
Liverpool confront a demanding journey to Sunderland
The previous season's champions appear increasingly at risk of missing Champions League qualification for the upcoming year, with Liverpool now trailing the top five by four points.
Even graver challenges may lie ahead for Arne Slot, as they journey to a Sunderland team that maintains the sole unbeaten record at home in the Premier League.
Already limited by a growing tally of injuries, the Reds will lack their standout contributor from a tough campaign, Dominik Szoboszlai, following his contentious late dismissal against City.
With Manchester United and Chelsea facing seemingly simpler opponents this week, Liverpool might see their gap widen even more, heightening rumours about Slot's tenure.
Spurs show urgency to evade relegation scrap
The extent of English clubs' success in the Champions League this term underscores the contrast that both Tottenham and Newcastle advanced smoothly to the knockout phase but now languish in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.
The two teams will collide in north London on Tuesday, placing Frank and Howe firmly in the glare of attention.
Frank acknowledged that Spurs exhibit greater "desperation", positioned only six points clear of the drop zone in 15th place.
The Dane has thus far received a reprieve despite ongoing demands from Tottenham supporters for his dismissal.
Howe, on the other hand, continues to enjoy widespread admiration on Tyneside, having concluded the club's 70-year drought for a major domestic honour by claiming the League Cup last season and delivering Champions League participation to St. James' Park on two occasions.
He affirmed on Monday that he still believes he is the appropriate leader for the role at present.
Yet with England and Manchester United reportedly eyeing the 48-year-old, Howe might conclude that he has guided Newcastle to the limit of his influence by season's end.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Tuesday
Chelsea v Leeds, Tottenham v Newcastle, Everton v Bournemouth (all 1930), West Ham v Man Utd (2015)
Wednesday
Aston Villa v Brighton, Crystal Palace v Burnley, Man City v Fulham, Nottingham Forest v Wolves (all 1930), Sunderland v Liverpool (2015)
Thursday
Brentford v Arsenal (2000)