The previous Premier League matchday has provided more clarity as far as the English top-flight landscape is concerned, and the gap between the contenders and pretenders is as big as ever.
Manchester City and Liverpool have both shown that they are the real deal. Neither were willing to concede during their epic 2-2 draw last weekend, so it’s likely that the title is going to be decided up until the final matchday.
On the red side of Manchester, however, United are inching closer towards welcoming another new regime since they will be trophyless once again. But whether their new hire is the solution to their biggest problems remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Tottenham are slowly breaking away from the chasing pack in terms of trying to secure the final Champions League spot for next season.
These are some of the notable Premier League 2022 updates that have occurred lately, so allow SBOTOP to recap them one by one.
Manchester United hope to turn fortunes around with new hire
After months of speculation, the Red Devils have found their man in Erik Ten Hag, who has reportedly agreed a deal in principle to become their new permanent manager next season.
According to The Athletic, Ten Hag is going to a sign a four-year deal but he’ll focus on coaching Ajax for now since they still have a cup final and are looking to secure another Eredivisie championship.
He has been the head coach of Ajax since December 2017 after working alongside Pep Guardiola from Bayern Munich. At Ajax, he guided them to an Eredivisie title and to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
The 52-year-old was United’s top target and he’ll replace interim boss Ralf Rangnick – who will move upstairs to fulfill his advisory role for the next two seasons.
Ten Hag is believed to have a huge say especially in the next few transfer windows where United clearly have big holes to fill, particularly a topnotch central midfielder and another centre-back.
Those weaknesses have been exposed in so many instances all season, which has left them seventh at the Premier League table and early exits from the EFL Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League.
United still have a chance to crack into the Top 4, but their Premier League 2022 odds are in tatters. Since the international break, they’ve dropped points against Leicester City and Everton, and they’ll take on Norwich City, Liverpool, and Arsenal for their three remaining games in April.
Two epic clashes in six days between Manchester City and Liverpool
With defending titlists Chelsea dumped out of the quarter-finals, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only English sides left in the Champions League.
Manchester City have a 1-0 aggregate lead over Atletico Madrid and they’re likely to advance, so as Liverpool – who have a 3-1 edge over Benfica. The Sky Blues and the Reds are slated to take on Villarreal and Real Madrid respectively should they take care of business tomorrow.
Pep Guardiola’s side is going to get a huge boost ahead of these next few games as Ruben Dias is inching closer to a return. The Portuguese centre-back has been out for the last six weeks due to a thigh problem, although the Sky Blues didn’t skip a beat thanks to John Stones, Nathan Ake, and Aymeric Laporte.
As for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp is expected to rotate his squad since they have another date with Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
It’ll be their second meeting in just a span of six days and it promises to be another banger since it’ll be another chance for these two sides to bring home some silverware.
Tottenham hold solo fourth
The Spurs are peaking at the right time. With a four-game win streak and with Arsenal, West Ham, and Manchester United stumbling, they have established themselves as the new favourites to secure the final Champions League berth for next season.
Since losing to Manchester United last March, Antonio Conte’s men have been firing on all cylinders – notching 14 goals in their last four wins against Brighton, West Ham, Newcastle, and Aston Villa.
Heung-Min Son is responsible for half of those to push his total to 18 goals and seven assists, while Harry Kane remains their top scorer with 20 goals and nine assists.
It’s been a while since Tottenham have been this good, which is why Antonio Conte should be given kudos for the club’s turnaround.
Tottenham will end this season still without a trophy, but this particular stretch is a step in the right direction – giving their fans hope of a possible breakthrough soon.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
