With the season more than halfway through, it may be time to take a look at the Premier League table and perhaps make a few predictions.
Here are my thoughts to the Table as it stands:
1st – Liverpool
Liverpool has been class for a large majority of this season, only dropping two games to unfortunate, one-off shows of bad form. With some high-scoring performances against teams Brentford and Burnley, and the return of their winger/striker Mo Salah, and things have looked good for Liverpool as they make a run for the Title and an opportunity to win some silverware at the Carabao Cup.
Injury could spell trouble for their plans for a title run, as despite getting Mo Salah back from a recurring hamstring injury, starters Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, and Diogo Jota have all been lost to some larger injuries according to Jurgen Klopp. The outlook is unsure for the Reds, as their showing against Brentford with Mohamed Salah’s near-immediate impact on the game could be a sign of good things to come.
2nd – Manchester City
Manchester City have dealt with a couple of rough injuries this season, but have shown resilience as the current Title Holders. After the early loss of Kevin De Bruyne to a hamstring injury in August, and Erling Haaland to a foot injury in early December, both players are back and match-fit. However, the return of these two stars didn’t secure a sure victory for City, as we saw in their match against Chelsea recently.
Perhaps it was because of their previous 4-4 draw to Chelsea back in November, but the City offense struggled to find the net, as the team totaled 31 shots all game with only 5 on target, leading to a 1-1 draw. Despite this, before their match against Chelsea, City was on a seven-game winning streak, not including their matches in the Club World Cup and UEFA Champions League. City has only lost three of their games this season, to Aston Villa, Wolves, and Arsenal, all in relatively early fixtures, but have since shown a “Pep” in their step that has kept the title within very close reach.
3rd – Arsenal
Arsenal Fans have had a great time in the recent match weeks: First, a 3-1 Home win against Liverpool followed by a vindictive 6-0 win against West Ham, and a 5-0 victory against Burnley to carry them into their Champions League Weekend. With Jurrien Timber on track to return soon after an ACL injury in the team’s opening match, Arsenal’s backline could see a big improvement alongside a potential return from Thomas Partey in the Midfield.
However, after bottling the league tragically during the last three games of the season last year, nothing is a sure thing for this Arsenal Team. Their struggle in games against Aston Villa, Fulham, and Luton could show up again in the latter half of the season when the title race begins to narrow. Additionally, if recurring injuries with key players Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu persist as an issue, the club’s consistency could take a dive. With this current run, the Gunners have a good chance to keep up with the other contenders, but a late-March match against City could prove crucial in the final months of the season.
4th and 5th – Aston Villa and Tottenham
Aston Villa is a peculiar scenario, stayed consistently in the top 5 of the table this year, and Villa is becoming a “will they, won’t they” team in the title race. They’ve shown their ability to beat top teams like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United who’ve recently found some momentum after a period of mixed results. However, if they continue to drop games to mid-table teams, their inconsistency could limit the possibilities of a Title this season.
Tottenham have found themselves in a similar situation, where inconsistency is riddled throughout their record this season. Stars like Son Heung-min, James Maddison, and Richarlison have had multiple great performances, but the Spurs seem unlikely to pull ahead this season. Eden Hazard recently made the argument in a podcast that Chelsea may be better than Tottenham, despite being in 10th, to which Mikel John Obi, former Chelsea legend, responded “…for sure, they are not going to win the league.”
The Title Race is sure to be a thriller this year as the top 3 teams are neck and neck fighting for the #1 spot. Each team is going to have a chance, and it’s anyone’s guess right now as to how it will go. While things are looking good for teams Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal, a good run of wins could give Villa or Tottenham the chance to compete for the title.
