As Arsenal and Man City’s shortcomings were revealed, Liverpool realised how it might win the title race. 

Liverpool finally seen Man City and Arsenal lose last night. Although it wasn’t in the championship race, it provided a model for potential point losses.

Normal. Liverpool will not be happy on a night when both Manchester City and Arsenal fail to win.

It’s not just bad luck, of course. We’re at the business end of the Champions League, after all. It makes sense that these are some of the most difficult games to win.

Even still, it was aggravating to watch Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who had been battling for weeks to even get very close to their Premier League rivals, Arsenal and Manchester City, respectively, find ways to damage them. The games ended in 2-2 and 3-3 results, so it was undoubtedly an entertaining evening, but Liverpool gained little from it.

The fact that the ties are still so closely tied will undoubtedly please the Reds. Arsenal and Manchester City would not have been taking the second leg of a Champions League quarterfinal lightly, regardless of the first-leg outcome. However, they now have to prepare for emotionally and physically taxing reverse matchups. While navigating a potentially more lenient Europa League run, Liverpool will hope for a hangover effect in the Premier League.

However, it needs to be seen if that benefit materialises. In particular, Manchester City is used to battling on several fronts and has proven it can combine a title challenge with European football. The squad appears well-equipped to handle the injuries, since Arsenal has had amazing luck with them this season.

The fact that Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have served as a reminder that Liverpool’s title challengers are human is perhaps more significant. At most, they may have even provided league opponents with a model on how to deal some damage.

Arsenal’s next opponent is Aston Villa, where Unai Emery’s team is aiming for a top-four finish, which it might still require to guarantee Champions League participation since Bayern’s draw has kept the England vs. Germany matchup for an additional spot alive. In a similar vein, the former manager of the Gunners may attempt to harm his previous team.

Bayern looked most dangerous when it moved rapidly. Arsenal appears to quickly regain composure after moving forward in an attack thanks to Mikel Arteta’s excellent coaching, but daring, quick changes can still find opportunities to exploit gaps.

This is how Aston Villa is supposed to play. Moussa Diaby moves very quickly, and players like Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins are also quite skilled. Arsenal might be unsettled if Emery can get his team to move the ball quickly from back to front.

That the secret to harming Manchester City is similar may not come as a surprise. After all, Pep Guardiola taught Arteta the trade. Real Madrid counterattacked without hesitation, throwing the game into disarray.

This has been Manchester City’s consistent point of weakness this season, far more so than Arsenal. It has mostly gotten away with it, but occasionally the jagged high line has looked like the struggling Liverpool system from the previous season, and clubs with enough bite can exact their revenge.

Although it’s unlikely that Luton can adhere to this plan at the Etihad, Brighton will be the opponents in the following league game. Although Roberto De Zerbi’s team has occasionally appeared overly plodding in attack this season, they undoubtedly have the ability to go through the gears quickly.

All three of the title candidates still have games left that could cause issues. Actually, it’s the Premier League, where all three teams have seven games that may prove to be challenging. Liverpool’s stalemate away at Manchester United undoubtedly disappointed them, but they are still very much in the running to win the title; the Champions League has just served as a reminder of their opponents’ shortcomings.