Advantage City in the EPL title race

LONDON, England (AP):

With a certain inevitability, Manchester City are suddenly in charge of the English Premier League (EPL) title race.

Arsenal and Liverpool both produced lethargic performances under pressure to lose home matches yesterday, leaving City - seeking an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title - with a two-point lead with six games remaining.

After Liverpool lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace for their first league defeat at Anfield in 18 months, Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa for their first league defeat this year.

With the three contenders entering this weekend separated by one point, this season's title race was being billed as the best in years - and potentially one for the ages.

There might still be twists and turns, but many will be ready to, already crown City, who beat Luton 5-1 on Saturday and rarely drop points in the final months of title campaigns, as the likely top team in England again.

Around this time of the year last season Arsenal started to implode, as a typically fast-finishing City reeled in Mikel Arteta's team.

LACK SPARK

Has it happened again? Playing between a double-header against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, Arsenal's players certainly lacked their usual spark.

Since losing to Fulham on December 31, Arsenal had won 10 of their 11 games in the league and drawn the other one.

"With the number of games we have won in a row, in any other league in the world you are six or eight points clear," Arteta said. "It's not the case now but this is the challenge."

It will have been a satisfying victory for Villa manager Unai Emery, who was fired by Arsenal in 2019 after 18 months in charge as long-time coach Arsene Wenger's replacement.

Arsenal have the best defence in England but have conceded four goals at home in five days after a 2-2 draw with Bayern on Tuesday.

BEHIND

A few hours earlier at Anfield, Liverpool - playing three days after losing 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League quarter-finals - failed to respond to going behind to Eberechi Eze's 14th-minute goal.

Liverpool's season is falling apart. It wasn't long ago that they were on for a quadruple of trophies in Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge, with the English League Cup already secured.

Now, the Reds are out of the FA Cup after losing to Manchester United in the quarter-finals last month, are facing elimination in the Europa League, and are now the third-favourite in the EPL.

"We feel really, really rubbish," Klopp said. "We need a bit of time to process that. It's a really bad moment ... we have to see how we react."

City, who are on a 27-match unbeaten run in all competitions, are on 73 points and have the easier run-in to Arsenal and Liverpool, on paper anyway.

Arsenal and Liverpool are on 71, with Arsenal ahead on goal difference.

WEST HAM LOSE

Like Liverpool, West Ham have had a tough few days in the Europa League and EPL.

After becoming the latest team to succumb to Bayer Leverkusen with a 2-0 loss in the Europa quarter-finals on Thursday, West Ham then lost by the same score to Fulham to hurt their ambitions of getting back in continental competition next season.

David Moyes' West Ham are in eighth place, outside the European qualification spots as it stands.

Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira scored either side of halftime for Fulham, who are in 12th place - safe from relegation but likely too far from getting into Europe.