Number Theory: The closest three-way EPL title race enters its home stretch

As the last quarter burst of the English Premier League (EPL) gets underway this weekend, Manchester City hosting Arsenal on Sunday has a lot more riding on it than any other remaining match. In a title race of three fine teams, separated by finer margins, this match between two of those sides has the potential to alter the title race irrevocably for both.

After 28 matches, the top three — Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City — are separated by just one point, in what is the thinnest margin among the top three sides at this stage in the 32-year history of the EPL. Although all three sides have 10 matches remaining, their remaining itineraries are such that the match at the Etihad acquires an outsized importance in the title race.