Posted by Chelsea and Liverpool are inextricably linked.
At the end of the latest challenger for Premier League game of the season, neither team emerged victorious, as both sets of players wilted under the weight of their exploits.
Liverpool held a 2-0 lead and were in command. Chelsea pulled it back three minutes before half-time, and despite all the blows exchanged in a spectacular encounter, the score remained level.
Well, not exactly. If perhaps not celebrating a full-on triumph, 210 miles away at Etihad Stadium, Manchester City may just have allowed themselves a smile of quiet satisfaction at a result they would have signed up for before kick-off.
Is the title race over? Of course it isn’t, not with so many points to play for and the propensity for unpredictability that can often accompany the Premier League.
Look at the table, however, and it is clear both Chelsea and Liverpool – the only serious rivals to the reigning champions – are looking up an increasingly steep hill if they wish to snatch the crown away from Pep Guardiola’s side.
Chelsea are 10 points behind City, with both playing 21 games, while Liverpool are 11 behind with a match in hand. Not insurmountable, but now relying on a large number of cards to fall in their favour, including a dip in form from a City side that currently looks unstoppable.
Source: BBC Sport