Manchester City vs Liverpool has been a theme of English football for the past few years, as Liverpool and Manchester City have been the two best teams in England and even Europe. These two clubs have superseded the rest of the dominant English clubs to set a standard of football that is of top quality. With the season reaching its business end, Manchester City can be crowned treble winners while Liverpool can be crowned quadruple trophy winners by the end of the season, with Klopp's men having already tasted silverware with the Carabao Cup victory.

Premier League:

The title race has intensified after City were held to a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with Liverpool now sat four points behind them and with a game in hand against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Against Palace, Pep Guardiola's men had enjoyed 74 per cent possession and carried the momentum but were not clinical enough, hitting the post twice.

Asked about Liverpool after Monday's match, Guardiola said: "We were 14 points ahead and they had two games less. They have one now. I said many times that there are many games to play. We have to win games."

The Spaniard labelled Liverpool as an "interesting team to watch" and confirmed he will be tuning in to watch his former assistant manager Mikel Arteta take them on.

At a pre-match conference on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp was asked if he thinks his squad can push City all the way."That's the plan of course, that we keep on being as annoying as possible, but we need to win our football games," he responded. "We are very ambitious and very determined to do great stuff."

On Merseyside, Mohamed Salah has not looked 100 per cent despite maintaining his place at the top of the Premier League goalscoring chart. They have been aided nonetheless by new £37m signing Luis Diaz, who scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday.

Aside from that potential title-decider, Guardiola will be particularly wary of Brighton, who have taken points from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea this season.

Caution must also be taken against West Ham, even if City have not lost to the east Londoners since 2015 in the Premier League, as they may still be clawing to secure a first Champions League appearance.

Both City and Liverpool will have to play Wolves, Watford, Newcastle and Aston Villa.

The Hornets may be dismissed as an easy fixture but their backs are against the wall fighting relegation – they will not go down easily as they showed with a valiant battle in the 3-2 loss to Arsenal earlier this month.

Wolves will prove another tough test thanks to the fourth-best defensive record in the league. Goalkeeper Jose Sa has the third-most saves in the top flight this campaign.

It could be a cruel twist of "written in the stars" if former Reds Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho combine with Aston Villa to destroy Liverpool's hopes of raising a second Premier League title – but they will be just as capable of causing an upset when they travel to Manchester on the final day of the season.

But the hardest fixture of all could be Newcastle, who have steadily been erasing their name from the relegation conversation and are now pushing for a top-half finish despite a controversial 1-0 loss to Chelsea.

Klopp has some especially tough fixtures still to plan for and will need a pragmatic game plan for Manchester United and Spurs, two of the most unpredictable teams on current form.

The Merseyside derby is scheduled for 23 April and should at least on paper be an easy three points for the German manager as Everton looks more likely for every match to be relegated.

Liverpool fans will also expect a win over Southampton, a side they beat 4-0 when they met in November.

Even though, Manchester City vs Liverpool at Etihad later this month could be the title decider yet there is still a feeling that the other teams could play key role in either Liverpool or Manchester City lifting the PL trophy at the end of the season as Premier League is known for its twists and turns on every match day.

F.A. Cup:

The four remaining teams in the FA Cup this season are Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. With Manchester City playing against Liverpool while Chelsea play Crystal Palace. Both matches will take place in the neutral venue of the Wembley Stadium.

Supporters will be glued to the screen with Manchester City vs Liverpool promising to be a glorious semi final. Pep Guardiola will look to add another FA Cup continuing his impressive record of winning of domestic cups with Manchester City. Klopp's Liverpool will look to add another domestic trophy this year after the Carabao Cup glory earlier this year.

On paper, Chelsea should beat Crystal Palace to qualify into the finals. The current Champions of Europe will be the toughest test in a cup final for both Pep or Klopp, both have faced Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea at various cup finals over the past two years. Considering Pep's record in knockout domestic competitions, Manchester City vs Chelsea looks the likely final. Chelsea have an abysmal record in domestic cup finals, reaching a final for every year for the past five years, yet just winning one FA Cup under Antonio Conte.

So Manchester City should be the clear favourites to lift the oldest domestic cup trophy, The FA Cup at Wembley Stadium during the end of the season.

UEFA Champions League:

When it comes to being crowned "Champions of Europe", it is a whole different ball game as the quarter-finals are fast approaching. Liverpool faces a tricky Benfica side, who are flying in their own league, while Manchester City face their toughest challenge yet in the form of La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid.

An all English final, Manchester City vs Liverpool, is quite possible, but they can only face each other in the final with both teams being drawn at opposite ends of the brackets.

Liverpool are up against Benfica in the quarterfinals. Klopp and co. will be very wary of the Portuguese side as Benfica eliminated, hot favourites Ajax in the last round. Liverpool will expect a tough resistance from Benfica.

On the other side, Bayern faces Villareal, the winners of this match will face either Liverpool or Benfica in the semifinals. Despite being the clear favourites against Benfica, Liverpool will have to face an incredibly tough task in the form of Bayern or Villareal in the semi-finals. Bayern are expected to win and reach the semi-finals. This sets up a heavyweight semi-final clash between Bayern Munich and Liverpool. Klopp faces his German counterpart, Julian Naglesmann.

Manchester City's road to the final is much trickier than Liverpool's as City face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. The English champions are taking on the Spanish champions, a match that should be called right down the middle.

On the other hand, the current European champions Chelsea will take on record UCL winning Real Madrid. Tuchel's tricky blues will look to eliminate Real Madrid once again after last year's win over them in the semi-finals. Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid will be up for revenge on the London side as they look to win their record, fourteenth UEFA Champions League trophy.

If Manchester City are able to get past Atletico Madrid, we might get to see a familiar Chelsea vs Manchester City or a match of the ages between City and Champions League royalty, Real Madrid.

It is extremely tough to predict this year's winners of the UEFA Champions League, but Manchester City and Liverpool are favourites to win it, as they have a squad capable of toppling the big boys of the Champions League. Even Chelsea could pull out another surprise by winning the UEFA Champions League once again. But I still feel, Pep Guardiola will do everything in his power to win the trophy that has been alluring him and his City side for years now. Especially after the heartbreak in the hands of their league rivals, Chelsea, in Porto.

Newcastle United has won their first domestic silverware in 70 years after beating Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup final at the Wembley Stadium. Newcastle United arrived at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final determined to end football's longest-ever trophy droughts, with no success in any competition since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fair Cup triumph.

From the start of the game, Eddie Howe's managed side was superior to Liverpool. The deadlock was broken just before half-time by Dan Burn. Liverpool was beyond poor in the first half. Alexander Isak doubled Newcastle's lead after a minute before his goal ruled out. 

Federico Chiesa scored a consolation goal in the dying minutes. But Newcastle's defense held on to secure an emotional victory. Here are the 10 records created by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup 2025 triumph.

GOOD MORNING! 😍 pic.twitter.com/pCqxLC3Sfl

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 17, 2025

10 records created by Newcastle United:

WE ARE NEWCASTLE UNITED

CARABAO CUP WINNERS#wedontdoquiet pic.twitter.com/83eJqEr3gb

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 16, 2025

Record 1:

Newcastle United's starting XI contained five different players aged 30 or older, with the average age of the side 29 years 13 days, the oldest by a side in a cup final since Manchester City in 2018.

Record 2:

Dan Burn became the first Newcastle player to score a goal in a major domestic League Cup final since Alana Gowling netted against Manchester City in the 1976 League Cup final.

Record 3:

Dan Burn (32years) is the third oldest Englishmen to score in a League Cup final, after Stoke City's Geroge Eastham in 1972 (35years) and John Terry for Chelsea in 2015 (34years)

Record 4:

Dan Burn was also the first Newcastle Player to score a competitive goal at Wembley Stadium since Rob Lee in April 2000.

Record 5:

Liverpool did not attempt a single touch of the ball in the Newcastle box or a shot in the League Cup final until three minutes into the first half added time.

Record 6:

Jacob Murphy has assisted Alexander Isak eight times for Newcastle this season; the most by any Premier League player for teammates across all competitions.

Record 7:

They have become the 24th different winners of the Carabao Cup since the tournament's inception in 1960.

Record 8:

Newcastle United has won their first piece of domestic silverware since 1955. It will be a night to remember.

Record 9:

Alexander Isak celebrated his 100th Newcastle appearance with the 58th goal for the club. Without any question, the goal was the decider.

Record 10:

Newcastle United has secured European football next season, as they secured UEFA Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup.

Carabao Cup, formerly known as the EFL Cup, is a 92-team knock-out tournament organised by the English Football League (EFL). Teams from Premier League, and three divisions of the English Football League compete in this tournament.

Although the prize value of the EFL Cup is not that significant compared to tournaments like FA Cup and other, EFL Cup has had it's reputation among football fans since 1961. Here are all the previous winners of the Carabao Cup since the beginning.

Who were the first-ever winners of the Carabao Cup?

Aston Villa were the first-ever champions of the Carabao Cup or the EFL Cup in 1961. They defeated Rotherham United by a 3-2 aggregate after a two-leged final after being down by 0-2 in the first leg. Alan O'Neill, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland were the scorers for Aston Villa.

For the first six seasons, the EFL Cup finals were played in two legs.

Who are the current winners of the Carabao Cup?

Newcastle United defeated defending champions Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium to win their maiden EFL Cup or Carabao Cup title. They defeated Liverpool by 2-1 to clinch their first-ever domestic title since 1955 FA Cup triumph.

Alexander Isak and Dan Burn scored the goals for them.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Also Read: Most Goals in the Premier League for a single club

Which is the most successful team in Carabao Cup history?

Liverpool with 10 EFL trophies, are the most successful team in Carabao Cup history. They won the trophy in 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1994-95, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons.

Most successful teams in Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup history

Most Carabao Cup wins as a player

Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho are the most successful players with three Carabao Cup titles in 2014, 2016, 2018-2021 with Manchester City.

All the past winners of the Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup since 1961

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are the two pinnacles of European club tournaments, awarding the coveted continental silverware to the top clubs in Europe. 

Borth tournaments are prestigious for clubs competing in these, and hold different merits and various aspects of prizes that come with these silverware. 

However, if you are a fan of a top club that crashed out of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, you would definitely be disheartened. But, on the other end, if your club clinches the Europa League, would you celebrate it in the same manner when your club reached the UCL semis?

This may be a tough choice for fans who naturally covet the utmost success for their beloved clubs. But this question may always arise in every football fan's mind, which one is better to choose? Crashing out in the UCL semis or winning the Europa League?

Sportz Point delves into this interesting discussion through this article.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarterfinals schedule: Everything you need to know

Crashing out of UEFA Champions League Semis: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

Playing in the UEFA Champions League is already competing at the highest level, and reaching the semifinals is a very significant achievement. 

• If a mid-table club in the top five European leagues manages, or a club that belongs to a league other than the lower coefficients in the UEFA European leagues ranking, reaching this level can also provide valuable experience for the team and contribute to their reputation.
• Reaching the semifinals demonstrates a lot about the team. It means they were able to overcome the best clubs in Europe and reach the knockout stage.
• If looked at from a monetary point of view, the UCL semifinalists receive a prize money of €15 million that helps the teams to look forward to their future. The Champions League also draws more marketing or TV ratings.

UEFA prize money distribution (as of 31 Jan):

7⃣3⃣% to UCL clubs (€2.14 billion)
1⃣8⃣% to UEL clubs (€528 million)
9⃣% to UECL clubs (€265 million) pic.twitter.com/anllbpFPQK

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) January 31, 2025

Disadvantages 

Losing at this stage can be disappointing, especially if the team had induced high hopes of winning the tournament. For example, Ajax in the 2018-19 UCL claimed attention in the best possible way, beating defending champions Real Madrid on the way, but crashed out of the semi-finals.

• If a team loses in the semifinals without winning anything in the domestic league, it will be considered a disastrous trophyless season. Very few people would be impressed by a club simply for reaching the semifinals.
• On the contrary, a semi-final defeat can disrupt a team's momentum, potentially affecting their performance in domestic competitions.
• This also may lead to a massive exodus of players from the club, especially if the club is not an European powerhouse already. The top European players will go after the players who performed well for the team, leading to the dismantling of the core group, making it harder to repeat the feat in the future continental competitions. 

Winning the UEFA Europa League: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

For most of the clubs, winning a silverware is a huge achievement. Winning the Europa League has its own advantages, considering that most of the mid-table or apparently mediocre clubs compete in this tournament.

• Winning the Europa League guarantees a continental silverware, which is always better than a trophy-less season. It also ensures a direct qualification in the next season's Champions League.
• The winners of the Europa League also meet the Champions League winners in a season-end competition, called the UEFA Super Cup, which presents another opportunity to clinch another silverware.
• Winning a major European trophy significantly enhances a club's global status and reputation. This success can attract sponsors, and elite players as well.

Disadvantages 

• The biggest drawback of taking part in the Europa League, particularly of winning it, is the scheduling of midweek games. This may lead to a congested fixture, resulting in fatigue among the players as well as higher injury risks. Consequently, this affects the players' performance within domestic leagues or other tournaments. The Thursday-Sunday format of the Europa League puts more pressure on players than the Tuesday-Wednesday format of the Champions League.
• Although it is a big silverware, the Europa League is usually less prestigious than the Champions League, and therefore makes it less attractive than the clubs competing in the UCL.
• Comparing to the Champions League, the Europa League offers lower prize money. This will be a downer for the clubs that are reliant on their European competition-generated revenue, more so those operating outside the major five European clubs.

The difference in prize money between 108 clubs playing UCL, UEL and UECL visualized. pic.twitter.com/T5IZwmOhsC

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) December 14, 2024

Conclusion: Which is better?

To be honest, it is subjective and depends on different contexts.

For a world-class team that can contest the Champions League, playing in the Europa League could be a disappointment or a consolation for the team, the management and mostly, for the supporters.

However, if a team has no practical hope of winning the Champions League but can contest the title for the Europa League, it would be preferable to lift the trophy instead of qualifying to the semi-finals.

In conclusion, the Champions League semi-final defeat is an indicator of greater competition and ability, while the Europa League win is a concrete victory. So, we can say that there is no definite 'better' result between these two. 

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. This evening, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the high-intense Arsenal vs Chelsea Premier League 2024-25 fixture set to be played at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal are currently placed second on the table, having earned 55 points in 28 matches. On the other hand, Chelsea are now standing in the fourth position with 49 points in 28 games.

Both teams are having a good season so far, but the result of this match will either benefit or put pressure on other teams competing in the top-four race. So sit back and enjoy the game as we bring you all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. This evening, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the Manchester City vs Brighton Premier League 2024-25 fixture set to be played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Manchester City, the defending champions, are having a difficult season and are currently battling to secure a spot in continental competitions for next season. The Cityzens are now standing in the fifth position, having earned 47 points in 28 matches. On the other hand, Brighton are just one point behind City, positioned seventh as of now with 46 points in 28 games.

Although City is struggling, this encounter against Brighton will be crucial for both teams before heading onto the international break. So sit back and enjoy the game as we bring you all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.