Man City beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium
Friday 4 January 2019 11:45, UK
Manchester City reignited the Premier League title race with their 2-1 win over Liverpool on Thursday.
The victory moved City up to second and cut Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to four points.
Here are five other key dates where Manchester City - and Tottenham - could make up ground on the Reds.
Liverpool are about to embark on a relatively kind run of fixtures - Brighton (a), Crystal Palace (h), Leicester (h), West Ham (a), Bournemouth (h) - but that changes on Sunday, February 24, when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United just a few days after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 showdown with Bayern Munich.
Klopp's team won their last meeting with United comfortably, but their old rivals are a different proposition under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They should also be fresher, with their Champions League last-16 first leg tie against PSG taking place a week earlier than Liverpool's.
Manchester City and Tottenham both have what look to be easier fixtures than Liverpool's that weekend. Pep Guardiola's side are away to Everton, while Spurs face Burnley at Turf Moor. If they are not involved in the Carabao Cup final, it could be an opportunity to take advantage of any potential Liverpool slip-up.
A week after their trip to Old Trafford, and just a few days after a midweek meeting with Watford, Liverpool face Everton at Goodison Park. The Reds have an excellent record at the home of their Merseyside rivals, but if their most recent meeting is anything to go by, it will be a tight and fiercely-contested encounter.
For Manchester City and Tottenham, it will be viewed as a potential banana skin. But what would be their chances of taking advantage? City will be fancied to beat Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, while Tottenham are home to north London rivals Arsenal.
Liverpool's meeting with Tottenham at Anfield on the weekend of March 30 presents Manchester City with a potential opportunity to make up ground. Klopp's team were held to a 2-2 draw by Spurs in the same fixture last season and it is likely to be similarly tight this time around.
City's fixture that weekend comes away to relegation battlers Fulham. The Cottagers have improved under new manager Claudio Ranieri but they were beaten 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season and City will be strongly fancied to beat them again at Craven Cottage.
Liverpool's final fixture against one of the big six comes at home to Chelsea on the weekend of April 13. The two sides played out a thrilling 1-1 draw in their last meeting at Stamford Bridge and City and Spurs would certainly be happy with a repeat of that scoreline at Anfield.
On the same weekend, City are away to Crystal Palace. Guardiola's side were beaten 3-2 by the Eagles at the Etihad Stadium on December 22 and drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park last season, but it is still a game they should win.
Spurs, meanwhile, are at home to bottom side Huddersfield.
There is no way of knowing whether the title race will still be open when it comes to the penultimate matchday of the season, but if it is, then Liverpool's rivals will draw hope from the Reds' poor recent record at St James' Park. Liverpool have not won any of their last four meetings with Newcastle in the north east, losing twice and drawing the others.
Manchester City are at home against Leicester at the same time, with Tottenham away at Bournemouth.
Will it be a nail-biting weekend in the title race? Or will the destination of the Premier League crown already be decided? Liverpool will hope it's the latter but there are plenty of opportunities before then for the chasing pack to close the gap.