Huddersfield Town's superb battling point at the Etihad on Sunday has put David Wagner's side within touching distance of survival, not just because of how it affected the league table but because their performance provided a template for their tough remaining fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Wagner's 3-5-1-1 formation proved to be a masterstroke. It brought the best out of Alex Pritchard, who scurried around as a number ten to great effect, and allowed the Terriers to play their aggressive, high-pressing football without sacrificing defensive resilience; a three-man back line meant the central midfielders could close the ball down without fear of being too open. Both Chelsea and Arsenal will struggle to find fluency should Huddersfield maintain this resilient formation. Momentum, it would seem, is with the Terriers.
Or perhaps not. Winning a scrappy point against lethargic, care-free opponents is one thing, but repeating the feat in more nerve-wracking environments is another thing altogether. Man City were strangely subdued on Sunday, walking onto the pitch with small children in arms before kick-off as if the match itself was just a meaningless testimonial arranged as an undercard for the main event: the Premier League trophy presentation.
The atmosphere will be markedly different in Huddersfield's remaining games. First up, they visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday with the hosts suddenly back in the hunt for a top-four finish. Antonio Conte's side will move level with Liverpool if they win and could even go above Tottenham Hotspur should Newcastle United frustrate Spurs at Wembley, meaning they will certainly bring their A game. It's worth noting that Chelsea have won five matches in a row in all competitions and haven't conceded a goal in over 300 minutes of football.
The form guide suggests that, a day earlier on Tuesday evening, Southampton will win at Swansea City in their crunch match. The Swans are on an eight game winless run, scoring just two goals in that time, while Saints have been playing some excellent football in a complex 3-4-2-1 formation. Everton's late equaliser at the weekend might have hit them hard, but Mark Hughes should be able to lift his players' spirits enough to grab three points at the Liberty Stadium.
That would put Southampton above Huddersfield on goal difference and leave Swansea three points behind Wagner's side ahead of the final day when Swansea host Stoke City, a team that hasn't won in 13 Premier League matches. The Potters last won away from home on October 28; Swansea will surely win the three points they require, relegating Huddersfield unless they can take a point from Arsenal.
Ordinarily a home tie against the Gunners, who have lost six away league games on the spin, would be considered a winnable fixture, but this is Arsene Wenger's final game in charge of the club. After 22 years of service, they'll want to give him a proper send-off, just as they did in the 5-0 destruction of Burnley in Wenger's final match at the Emirates.
Huddersfield are not safe yet. It takes a specific set of results to send them down – hence why the bookmakers back them to retain their Premier League status – but on closer analysis it seems probable that Swansea and Southampton will both get exactly one more win.
Relegation is most definitely on the cards; Wagner needs one more heroic performance, one more heroic point, to avoid the cruellest of outcomes for the Premier League's favourite underdogs.
