Biggest comeback in Premier League history? Largest points deficit to win a title & where Liverpool would rank

Feargal Brennan

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Biggest comeback in Premier League history? Largest points deficit to win a title & where Liverpool would rank image

Liverpool's trip to Manchester City on April 10 has been billed as the 2021-22 Premier League title decider, as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium.

The Reds have hauled back an incredible 14-point gap in the title race, to challenge City in the run-in, with just a single point separating the defending champions and the 2020 winners.

Should Liverpool complete the comeback, overtake Man City and then finish the job, it would go down as a historical achievement (see below for context).

It would also mark another twist in a fascinating new rivalry that has taken shape between the two sides. Guardiola and Klopp have put their own stamp on their respective squads, with very little to choose between them across various competitions.

MORE: Pep vs. Klopp head-to-head

Biggest comeback in a Premier League title race

If Liverpool can erase the 14-point difference and win the 2021-22 Premier League title, it would mark the greatest points deficit ever overcome by an eventual champion.

The all-time list of greatest comebacks also features two Manchester City fightbacks, but Manchester United hold the existing mark, erasing a 12-point deficit in 1996.

Greatest points gap overcome in Premier League history

Season Eventual Champion Eventual Runners-Up Points
Gap
1995-96 Manchester United Newcastle 12
1997-98 Arsenal Manchester United 11
2013-14 Manchester City Liverpool 9
2002-03 Manchester United Arsenal 9
2011-12 Manchester City Manchester United 8

Manchester City's comebacks

Two of City's Premier League titles have required them to dig deep and pull back a rival.

In 2013-14, City found themselves with ground to make up on Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool in the final weeks of the season.

Despite losing to Liverpool with six games to go, City made use of their game in hand and won their final five matches, as Liverpool trailed off and allowed the Citizens to clinch the title as a nine-point gap fizzled away.

Manchester United's 12-point fightback

The most famous Premier League title comebacks date back to the early days of the division, with Manchester United taking a front row seat.

Sir Alex Ferguson became embroiled in an infamous war of words with Newcastle's Kevin Keegan, as United chipped away at the Magpies 12-point lead in January 1996, with the Scot finally winning the day.

Keegan's side famously melted away in the race as a dominant United reclaimed the title from Blackburn Rovers.

Arsenal pip United in 1998

However, it was not all plain sailing for United in tight titles races in the 90's, as they memorably found themselves on the opposite side in 1998.

Arsenal trailed their arch rivals by 12 points in February — and 11 with nine games to go — but Marc Overmars's goal secured a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, and Arsene Wenger went for the jugular as the Gunners racked up 10 straight wins to bring the Premier League title to Highbury for the first time.

Would Liverpool's comeback be the biggest in Premier League history?

If Liverpool complete a title turnaround in the coming weeks, it will go down as one of the most remarkable achievements in the club's history.

It's important to note that while the 14-point deficit was real, it only reached that point because of COVID-19 schedule disruptions. The fact remains that the gap existed for just over a day.

The Premier League was beset by COVID-19 outbreaks during the festive period, and that set Liverpool back slightly in games played.

Manchester City's 1-0 win at home to Chelsea on January 15, created the infamous 14-point gap, before dropping to 11 points, when Liverpool beat Brentford just over 24 hours later.

Mohamed Salah in action for Liverpool during the 2021-22 Premier League season
(Getty Images)

At that point, City had played two more games than Liverpool, with Klopp's side having their Boxing Day game against Leeds called off, as City survived the COVID-19 postponements.

Klopp's side regularly had a game in hand for most of the early months of 2022. In fact, Liverpool did not catch up with City in games played until late February, before another disruption, due to their EFL Cup final.

It could be Guardiola and Man City playing catch up in the final stretch as their trip to Wolves has yet to be rearranged due to the Citizens' involvement in the FA Cup semifinals.

2022 Premier League title race

Liverpool make the short trip down the M62 as the most in-form Premier League team, with 10 straight league wins, and no domestic defeats since losing to Leicester City on December 28.

That incredible consistency has allowed Klopp's charges to force their way back into the title race, as City drew against Southampton and Crystal Palace, and lost at home to Tottenham during that same run of games.

The major focus on Liverpool's revival has been their 14-point comeback against City in 2022, with the picture at the start of January looking primed to hand Guardiola a fourth Premier League title in five years.

However, from the exact moment of being 14 points behind, Liverpool have won every single Premier League game since.

The crucial results for Klopp have come home and away in recent months, with a Diogo Jota inspired 2-0 Anfield win over Leicester — exorcising their December ghost — but the key victory came at Arsenal on March 16, two days after City drew at Selhurst Park.

In terms of recent consistency, Liverpool have a clear edge (based on the last 10 Premier League games) with a maximum 30 points, while City picked up 23 by comparison.

A key feature of Klopp's Liverpool is their ability to battle back and claim points from losing positions — with an incredible 63 points in contrast to City's 27 — since the start of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign.

But in 2022, Liverpool have only needed to come from behind once to win in Premier League action (vs. Norwich City on Feb.19), with 29 percent of their 27 Premier League goals so far in 2022 coming in the final 10 minutes.

City have relied on late goals slightly more in 2022, with four points picked up form losing positions, including their 2-1 New Years' Day win at Arsenal.

Manchester City remaining schedule

Match Date Home/Away Opponent Time (ET)
31 Sun, Apr. 10 H Liverpool 11:30 a.m.
32 TBD A Wolves TBD
33 Wed, Apr. 20 H Brighton 3 p.m.
34 Sat, Apr. 23 H Watford 10 a.m.
35 Sat, Apr. 30 A Leeds 12:30 p.m.
36 Sat, May 8 H Newcastle 11:30 a.m.
37 Sun, May 15 A West Ham 11:30 a.m.
38 Sun, May 22 H Aston Villa 11 a.m.

Liverpool remaining schedule

Match Date Home/Away Opponent Time (ET)
31 Sun, Apr. 10 A Man City 11:30 a.m.
32 Tues, Apr. 19 H Man United 3 p.m.
33 Sun, Apr. 24 H Everton 11:30 a.m.
34 Sat, Apr. 30 A Newcastle 7:30 a.m.
35 Sat, May 7 H Tottenham 2:45 p.m.
36 Tues, May 10 A Aston Villa 3 p.m.
37 Sun, May 15 A Southampton 11:30 a.m.
38 Sun, May 22 H Wolves 11 a.m.

Feargal Brennan

Feargal Brennan Photo

Feargal is a content producer for The Sporting News. He has been working with TSN since the start of 2022 after stints with Reach, Amazon UK and Squawka in a nomadic career in the football media pyramid. Always with a keen eye on Arteta's 'Reds' and Kenny's Ireland 'Greens' and a 100% five-a-side penalty record.