The Premier League has reached the stage where fans of the two title contenders spend a large part of their days looking at the remaining fixtures. We are down to nine games each for Manchester City and Liverpool and it is possible to hazard a guess as to where points could be dropped.

On Sunday Liverpool fell behind their rivals – with both having played the same number of games – for the first time since 7 December but the consensus seems to be that the Merseyside club have the easier run-in. Well, have they?

Quick Guide The numbers Show Average current placing in league table of remaining opponents

Man City 11.89

Liverpool 13.33

Advantage Liverpool Replicating results against remaining opponents from earlier in season

Man City W7 D0 L2 F24 A7 21pts

Liverpool W8 D1 L0 F20 A4 25pts

Advantage Liverpool Members of top six still to play

Man City 2 (Man Utd, Tottenham)

Liverpool 2 (Tottenham, Chelsea)

No advantage Average points picked up by remaining opponents per game since 1 Jan (ie in form)

Man City 1.31

Liverpool 1.21

Advantage Liverpool Games remaining to be played at home ground

Man City 4/9 44.4%

Liverpool 5/9 55.5%

Advantage Liverpool

Quite possibly. Using a moderately scientific approach it shows, among many things, that the average table position of the teams Liverpool have still to play is 13.33 while City are up against teams with an average position of 11.89. This may not sound like a huge difference but add to that facts such as Liverpool having more home games than City (55.5% to 44.4% or, in simpler terms, one more) and that Liverpool picked up 25 points against the opponents they have left to play this season when they first met during this campaign compared with 21 for City, and a pattern emerges. Five of Liverpool’s remaining nine games are against the worst five teams in the league according to the current table: Huddersfield, Fulham, Cardiff, Southampton and Burnley.

It does appear that Liverpool have the easier run-in. Which may be good news for Jürgen Klopp and his team but there are other factors and the first of them is form: since the turn of the year City have picked up an impressive 2.67 points per game while Liverpool are currently on 1.78.

Then, obviously, there will be injuries, refereeing decisions, the impact of progress in the Champions League and the question of which of the two sides enjoys the greater luck.

Quick Guide Premier League title race: the remaining fixtures Show Manchester City (86 points) 24 Apr Man Utd (a)

28 Apr Burnley (a)

4 May Leicester (h)

12 May Brighton (a) Liverpool (85 points) 21 Apr Cardiff (a)

26 Apr Huddersfield (h)

5 May Newcastle (a)

12 May Wolves (h)

It is fair to say that City’s most daunting fixtures come towards the end of April, in particular the away fixture against Manchester United on the 24th. How will United perform in that game, knowing they can give either their neighbours or Liverpool a huge hand in winning the title? And what about the games on 4 May, when Brendan Rodgers faces City and Rafael Benítez Liverpool? Will they be decisive? Or will none of this matter and will it, in the end, come down to which team has to play on the most blustery days during this spring?