With just a handful of matches left in the Premier League season, the title race is becoming a little more clear with each passing week. Certain teams have already given up hope of taking the title. Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all recognized defeated. Manchester City is the latest to join them
Manchester City still held hope that they could make a run at the Premier League title if they were able to win out. Currently sitting in the No .4 spot in the table, City entered a very critical match Normwich, but a scoreless draw saw their hopes at a trophy end. The team was confident that it could overcome odds once again, but mathematically, they can simply not gain enough points to chase the leaders at this point. Manager Manuel Pellegrini admitted that his club is disappointed.
"Of course we should create more in the last third," Pellegrini said. "We were static up front. Every time that you drop points it is harder, but you must continue thinking in a positive way."
Losing the chance at a title is a disappointing ending for City's Premier League season. For now, they will set their focus on Champions League play where they have their second leg match with Dynamo Kiev in the Round of 16. Then next Sunday, they face off in the derby against Manchester United. There is a chance to save the season with a few nice wins down the stretch, but a title will not be found this year.
Instead, Tottenham and Leicester City will continue to battle it out in the top two spots. Leicester holds a sold five-point lead over the Spurs and look poised to hoist the trophy this season, but they must remain focused if that is going to happen. The team is well aware that anything can happen, as boss Claudio Ranieri urged his club to not take their foot off the gas.
"The league this year is crazy," Ranieri said. "You know my ideas. I still have these ideas. Every decade or 20 years, something strange could happen. For this reason, we are fighting because it's a crazy league and anything could happen. We have to fight and at the end we can say, 'We have achieved this.' I said there were five games [for the international break this month] and then I can say what we can do. Now I am focused on Newcastle. The three points are very important for us."
Being the title favorites comes with plenty of pressure. Leicester has appeared nearly unstoppable all season long. Meanwhile, the Spurs have been vulnerable in a few critical losses. Ranieri is right to say that anything can happen, but the Foxes have a nice cushion on the chance that something goes wrong.