Premier League winner odds & outright predictions: Citizens to edge out Reds

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Manchester City have shown they can be ruthless front-runners and Pep Guardiola's men are odds-on favourites to complete a successful title defence.

A shade over half of the season is still to be played but there are just three contenders and the pathway to glory is looking tougher for Chelsea, who have taken four points from their last four matches.

Thomas Tuchel's Blues set the pace between early October and early December but the cracks were starting to show when they scrambled a 2-1 success at injury-hit Watford earlier this month.

Three days later they were beaten 3-2 at West Ham and draws at home to Everton and away to Wolves have further weakened their position.

Frustration is growing for Tuchel, who was angry at the Premier League's refusal to postpone to the Wolves game after Chelsea had reported seven positive Covid cases.

However, it has been several weeks since Chelsea have performed to the standards needed for a title challenge and their hopes could fade even further in January when they face games at home to Liverpool and at Manchester City.

It could soon boil down to another head-to-head scrap between the Reds and the Citizens, who have dominated in recent times.

Both are used to winning batches of games and it is too soon to write off Jurgen Klopp's Reds, who had reeled off eight successive wins before Sunday's pulsating 2-2 draw at Tottenham.

Liverpool played well against Spurs despite the absence of Virgil van Dijk and their first-choice midfield of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago, and they may need to dig deep in January and February if Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are summoned for Africa Cup of Nations duty.

However, Liverpool's January schedule doesn't look too taxing, with an FA Cup third-round trip to Shrewsbury before Premier League games at home to Brentford and away to Crystal Palace.

And it is quite possible that they could come through unscathed, setting up a thrilling race to the finishing line.

The biggest problem Liverpool have is the sheer number of points which could be needed to finish above City.

City are averaging 2.44 points per game – putting them on course for a final tally of 93.

And there is scope for them to have a more productive second half of the season because performances are steadily improving.

There were a few inconsistencies in City's early season, seen in an opening 1-0 loss at Tottenham and a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton.

But everything seemed to click when City won 1-0 at Chelsea in September and they have moved into another gear since the start of October, winning eight successive Premier League games.

Early-season talk of them needing a centre-forward is looking laughable after City warmed up for Christmas with a 7-0 thumping of Leeds at home before winning 4-0 at Newcastle.

They are solid in defence with 11 clean sheets kept and a goals-conceded tally of nine, the best in the division.

It is nearly ten years since the recently retired Sergio Aguero set the ball rolling for City with his famous injury-time title-winning goal, but his departure has had little impact on the club's insatiable desire for trophies and that could deliver them a fourth Premier League title in five seasons.

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