Premier League: Liverpool, Man City & Chelsea set for title finale

This year's title race is one of the most open in Premier League history, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in a three-way tussle that may not be decided until the final day of the season.

With just three points separating the sides, all three could be top of the table at different stages between Saturday and Monday.
Liverpool had their lead over Chelsea cut to just two points when their 11-game winning run was ended by a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, with the two clubs having just two fixtures left to play.
City will go top of the table on goal difference if they beat Everton on Saturday, while Chelsea would usurp them with victory against Norwich on Sunday. Even then, Liverpool would return to top spot with a win at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Race for the Premier League title
Liverpool	Chelsea	Man City
Mon 5 May: Crystal Palace (a)	Sun 4 May: Norwich (h)	Sat 3 May: Everton (a)
		Wed 7 May: Aston Villa (h)
Sun 11 May: Newcastle (h)	Sun 11 May: Cardiff (a)	Sun 11 May: West Ham (h)

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is not expecting Everton to go easy on City despite the prospect of Roberto Martinez's Everton side handing the initiative back to their Merseyside rivals.
Rodgers said. "Make no mistake, Everton in their own right are a great club who have done well this year, particularly at home, and they are fighting for a Champions League position.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Mark Lawrenson Football analyst

"What this Manchester City team experienced in 2012, when they beat QPR with two stoppage-time goals to win the title on goal difference, will help them this time around. I do not see them letting it slip away now."

"For us the focus is on ourselves because we can't rely on anyone. We have to do our own job, and our job is to get three points at Crystal Palace."

Despite the prospect of going top of the table on Sunday with only a week of the season remaining, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho stuck to his regular theme of writing off his team's prospects on Friday.
He said: "We know that we play against two teams that desperately need the three points, but we also need the points to finish third and guarantee a Champions League spot next season."
If all three teams win their matches over the weekend, City have the chance to go top on goal difference when they play their game in hand against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Points required to win the title
Liverpool	Chelsea	Man City
Six, although if Man City win their three matches, City will almost certainly take the title on goal difference.	Six and both Liverpool and Man City losing one of their remaining games.	Nine will almost certainly secure the title on goal difference regardless of other teams. They could win it with seven points if Liverpool fail to win one of their games.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini said: "When you just depend on what you can do it is better for all the players.
"At the moment the motivation is very high. Now it is important that the performance also must be high."