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After Manchester City’s demolition of Arsenal, it is safe to say that not many teams will come to the Etihad and not be soundly beaten. That, coupled with the fact that Chelsea narrowly beat Crystal Palace, means that the game between Liverpool and Spurs at White Hart Lane, gains all the more significance. Thanks to Arsenal’s great start to the season, a minor blip at the Etihad isn’t really going to matter too much in the grander scheme of things as their levels of consistency early on in the season has led to them breaking away from the pack of teams behind them.
So, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea looking to have sewn up the top three spots between them, it remains to be seen who gets the fourth spot. One look at the season so far will tell you that, there have been four teams so far, who have looked like they might just get into the Champions League. Let us take a look at each of them and how their chances stand.
Southampton
With their surprising start to the season, Southampton looked like they might just sneak in through the backdoor if they kept up their amazing start to the season. But, not many really believed that the Saints had the wherewithal to go through an entire season in the top four. All those naysayers were proved to be right as their recent run of form has been woeful as they haven’t managed to win any of their last five matches, losing three of them. Whilst the fixture list hasn’t been too kind on them, those were precisely the fixtures that they had to get through unscathed if they were to challenge for the title.
Everton
With the Saints on the way down, the team that is currently occupying top spot is currently enjoying a fabulous run of form that has seen them win three of their last four games and even that one game they didn’t win, was a come from behind draw at Arsenal, in which they gave a pretty good account of themselves. The Toffees are looking like they are slowly kicking into gear and have lost just once all season. But, the problem for Everton has been that there has been far too many draws.
Although they have won eight games so far, their seven draws is the most of any team in the division. And their biggest problem is that their squad isn’t well equipped to handle injuries and if Lukaku gets injured, they don’t have anybody to replace him and their season might just come crumbling down, thanks to a lack of goals.
Liverpool
Behind only Manchester City in terms of goals scored, with the best striker in the League playing up front, Liverpool’s start to the season has certainly been one that not many expected. With Suarez out at the start of the season, many predicted that they wouldn’t get off to the best of starts, but Sturridge was in the form of his life, before his injury forced him out. And just before he got injured, his partnership with Suarez was looking like one that might just lead Liverpool into the Champions League.
The problem for Liverpool so far this season has been their inability to maintain the high standards set by themselves. They followed a spirited draw at Goodison Park with an inexplicable loss away to Hull and that has been their story so far. Although they have looked very good going forward, at the back, they have kept just one clean sheet in their previous 12 League games and that is certainly something that is stopping them from taking that final step.
Tottenham
After spending over hundred million pounds, Spurs fans were demanding free-flowing attacking football, but they have until now been served none of that. Although his side boast of the most clean sheets of anyone in the League, AVB, for all that money spent, hasn’t been able to put together an attack that is capable of scoring too many goals. In fact, their 15 goals so far is the lowest of any of the teams currently occupying the top 10 places.
Whilst it is true that this is their second highest points tally after the first 15 games, if AVB doesn’t sort out his attack soon, he will have plenty of people on his back, calling for his head. But, with a solid foundation at the back, his attack, having had some time to gel, might just be starting to peak at the right time, as was evident with Soldado’s hat-trick in the Europa League on Thursday.
Manchester United
For those of you, who are wondering who the fifth team are, it is certainly Manchester United, the reigning champions who couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start to their season under David Moyes. The Red Devils have hardly looked like the side that won the League at a canter last season. This time around with the familiar midfield failings being exposed, they haven’t looked like they might challenge for the title, instead, have to be content with fighting it out for a top four spot.
And whilst they certainly have bucket loads of experience, all of that will not count too much, if they keep playing the way they are at the moment. They are arguably the side, who have least looked like they might get into the top four, as none of their performances so far this season has been particularly noteworthy. Something has to give for Moyes, if his side are to break into the top four and maintain the lofty standards set by his predecessor.
