ARSENAL OR LIVERPOOL? Struggle for soccer title

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 48

ARSENAL OR LIVERPOOL? Struggle for soccer title

•VZ F A -Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. The English soccer championship is developing into a straight fight between Liverpool and Arsenal, as the season enters its closing stages.

I Leeds United was in strong contention until it dropped vital points in drawn matches against Wolverhampton Wandrers and West Bromwich Albion in the last eight days. With four weeks left to the end of the season. London bookmakers vesterdav quoted Liverpool as 5-2 favourite to win tne title, with Arsenal 7-2 and Leeds 8-1. I One more game Liverpool and Arsenal both have 52 points, although Liverpool has played one game fewer than its London rival and is top of the league on goal average. Leeds is six points’ behind the leaders, and despite the fact that it has two games in hand over Liverpool, its recent performances have diminished considerably the Yorkshire club’s chances of the league title. The most interesting match today is that between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur —a clash which comes only; 10 days before the two clubs! will meet in the first leg of their U.E.F.A. Cup semi-final. Draw likely Tottenham knocked Liverpool out of the English! League Cup on the way to winning the final earlier this month, but on recent form seems unlikely to repeat that win. The most likely result would be a draw, for Tottenham has drawn five of its last six meetings with Liverpool at Anfield, and four of those games have been goalless. The Liverpool match is being played in the morning, which means that Arsenal will know whether it has a chance of taking over the leadership before meeting the reigning champion, Derby County, at Highbury, in the afternoon. Derby beat Arsenal, 5-0. in the season’s first league 'clash between the clubs last [November. But since then, I the London club has lost I only one of 22 league and 'cup matches, and the eighthplaced Derby does not look

capable of marring that .record. : Leeds United can return tn [winning form in its awn match against Manchester City, which has now played [nine consecutive matches j without victory. I At the bottom end of the 'first division, the relegation issue has reached crisis point and none of the struggling clubs can be more worried than Norwich City, whose disastrous slump has ex tended to 16 league games ! without success. I Norwich is second from 'bottom, on 25 points, and has a home match against Birmingham City, the side with (which it was promoted last (season and now also on the [fringe of the danger zone ! Crystal Palace, a place above Norwich on goal average. will attempt, against Chelsea, to break an astonishing record of not having (beaten a London club since 'gaining promotion in 1969 I The bottom club. West Bromwich (24 points), has a !difficult match at Stoke.