Manchester City, United top table: Goal difference could be decider
In 2011-12, City won their first EPL title after tie-breaker from close second United
Manchester City has rocketed to the top of the English Premier League title with Manchester United on their tail.
If the two teams can keep it up, then it will make for a close call as the race for the title continues until May, possibly relying on goal difference to determine a winner.
It’s a complete 180 from from how things went last season, when Liverpool was many points clear from all their rivals on the table, and won their first-ever Premier League title with a record seven matches to spare.
This year, however, the race is tight and unpredictable.
Right now City and United, who’ve both played 19 games so far, are No 1 and No 2 on the table. City is sitting at the top with a precarious 41 points, which can easily be beaten by second-place Untied who have 40 points.
Leicester are not far off with 38 points in third place. West Ham made a surprise entry into the Top 4 and are now at 35 points. Meanwhile, defending champs Liverpool are at 34 points, with three draws and two losses in their last five games.
However, City has a goal difference (GD) of 23, while United has a GD of only 11, meaning City’s ratio of goals scored to goals conceded fares better than United’s.
What does that mean, for fans of the two warring clubs?
Well, if the final decision comes down to a tie between the two… City is more likely to nab the title due to their higher GD. That’s what happened in 2011-12, when City and United tied for 89 points. City ended up winning their first Premier League title that season, with a goal difference of 64, which bested United’s GD of 56.
But it’s football, and it’s anyone’s game. Only time will tell if the Manchester clubs could tough it out until the end.