Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp Headline 2018-19 EPL Manager of the Year Nominees

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp are the front-runners for this year's Premier League manager of the season award after being named among the nominees.

Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino and Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo also feature on the four-man shortlist. The winner will be named May 14, per the Mirror's Alex Richards.

Leaders City and Liverpool remain locked in a tug-of-war for the title heading into the last week of the season. The Citizens need to only win at Brighton & Hove Albion to retain a top-flight crown for the first time in their history. Liverpool will host Wolves, one point behind City and all but resigned to finishing second.

Tottenham need only one point at home to Everton on Sunday to ensure they finish at least fourth despite making no signings in the summer. Wolves boss Espirito Santo has guided his side on a dream journey from promotion and up to seventh, now within touching distance of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.

Premier League Manager of the Season Nominees

• Pep Guardiola, Manchester City
• Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool
• Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham Hotspur
• Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolverhampton Wanderers

It's of no surprise to see Guardiola and Klopp shortlisted for the season's top managerial accolade after tearing away on their own personal duel for the league title.

Liverpool have managed to do what no team could last year and kept pace with City until the last days of the campaign.

Guardiola's City have lost four times this season—three more than Liverpool—but their consistency over the course of the season is paying dividends, per BT Sport:

City have scored a Premier League high of 91 goals this term and don't look likely to be beaten in that respect, either. City have won 31 of their 37 matches thus far—two more than the Reds—and Guardiola has again been at the root of their success.

Klopp has formed a habit of finishing second at Liverpool, and this could go down as his cruellest near-miss so far at Anfield.

However, Guardiola recently paid his rival high praise, judging Klopp's Reds alongside one of Barcelona's recent incarnations to be the toughest teams he's ever faced, via beIN Sports:

Pochettino's Tottenham didn't make a single signing last summer as the club approached the completion of its new stadium. Despite the far superior investment of his peers, the Argentinian has nevertheless steered Spurs to within one point of UEFA Champions League qualification.

The journey would have been far easier, too, had Spurs not lost seven of their last 11 games, a run that could come back to haunt Pochettino in his bid to be named the Premier League's best. 

Speaking of achieving outside one's means, journalist James Benge felt Espirito Santo deserved to be given manager of the year honours upon securing seventh place for his side:

It's worth noting Wolves assembled a talented squad in the Championship and have spent significantly more than most teams promoted from England's second tier. Nonetheless, Espirito Santo has displayed shrewd awareness and brought tactical ideas not common to the Premier League.

Wolves will qualify for the Europa League qualifying rounds if City defeat Watford in the FA Cup final on May 18, though their achievement in finishing one place behind the big six shouldn't be understated.