Premier League Matchday 23: Fierce battle to avoid relegation.

Premier League - Ảnh 1. — Wolverhampton promises to make things difficult for Man City (center). Photo: REUTERS

At home, Man City host bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton. Meanwhile, Liverpool travel to Bournemouth – a team that is no longer the "dark horse" it was at the start of the season.

Don't underestimate the bottom-ranked teams.

If this had happened a month ago, fans would have been certain of a resounding victory for Man City. This was because they were only hosting what was considered the "weakest team in Premier League history in a single season." At that time, Wolverhampton had finished their 18th matchday with only... 2 points.

This was considered a record low points total for the first half of the season (Wolverhampton drew the next round, ending the first half with 3 points). But starting from round 19, the "Wolves" embarked on a strong resurgence. The poor performance of Man United – their rivals who drew with them in round 19 – seemed to have boosted the confidence of Rob Edwards' team.

After drawing with Man United, Wolverhampton thrashed West Ham 3-0. They then drew with Everton and Newcastle in subsequent matches. Thus, since the last day of the year, Wolverhampton has gone four matches unbeaten in the Premier League, earning six points. It's worth noting that in their last four domestic league matches, Man City only managed three points (three draws, one loss) – an extremely poor run of form for a big club.

Wolverhampton's confidence has been boosted by the slump of the big clubs. Before drawing with Man United in round 19, the "Wolves" also gave Liverpool a scare in round 18 (losing 1-2).

Difficulties for tycoons

However, with only 8 points, Wolverhampton's fight for survival remains very difficult. This is because they are 14 points behind Nottingham Forest (17th place), who are in a safe position.

But the season is still long, and if they maintain their unbeaten run for another 3-4 matches, the opportunity will likely return to Wolverhampton's grasp. More importantly, the "Wolves" are now fighting with nothing to lose. This promises to create immense difficulties for big teams like Man City, who are currently depleted in terms of personnel.

While Manchester City are reeling from a depleted squad with over 10 players injured, Liverpool need to be wary of a serious Bournemouth side. Having briefly been close to the top of the table with a stellar start to the season, Bournemouth suffered a dramatic slump in November and December, dropping near the relegation zone. Only after Semenyo finalized his departure did Bournemouth regain their focus, earning 5 points in their last 4 matches.

In their most recent encounter, Bournemouth surprised Liverpool by drawing 2-2 after being 0-2 down, but Chiesa's late brilliance helped the "Reds" secure three points. That was also one of the matches that showed signs of Liverpool's instability right from the start of the season.

Currently, the "Red Brigade" is in a state of extreme instability. In contrast to their impressive run in the Champions League, Liverpool have drawn four consecutive matches in the Premier League. If they fail to win this game, they are likely to drop out of the top four.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vong-23-premier-league-khoc-liet-cuoc-dua-tru-hang-20260124100926193.htm