1/3 of all games played and it seems Arsenal, Man. City and Liverpool are very close not only on where they are at the table, but also regarding performances throughout the 13 games.
Do you think this will be a tight race all the way to May?
If not which team do you expect to fall out of the title race and why?
(fair to say Villa and Spurs are also up there but IMO both lack squad depth and cannot see them as title challengers come May)
It depends on injuries. Everything has to go right for Arsenal or Liverpool, whereas City can cope with an injury to just about anyone besides Rodri, so they’re best equipped for the marathon that the season is. KDB is still to come back, Salah and Partey (currently injured) will be going to AFCON, Tomiyasu and Endo will be going to Asia Cup. All signs point to City winning their 4th in a row but it’ll be close. Arsenal took points off City, Liverpool drew with them away, if both can make sure they aren’t just tripping each other up but also presenting a challenge to City then we could have a new champion.
Håland out would not be ideal either.
It all depends on Rodri staying fit/not getting the cards he deserves to get. Without him City is a lot worse.
Tripping each other up is the worry. At the start of the season I figured City would beat all the contenders and they would take points off each other giving City a big advantage in the title chase. But City has dropped points against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea (not that they’re challenging) so I have sliver of hope. I fear for high line Spurs next week though…
Glad someone sees it. At this level, with these incredibly regimented and meticulously planned systems, being used with the most elite, world class, one-of-a-kind players, injuries define everything. The margins are so fine and everything is so controlled, but injuries (and, increasingly, VAR) are the big thing you can’t control. It’s out of your hands and can ruin everything in an instant
When a team performs below expectations these days it can nearly always be attributed to injuries. They’re an absolute blight on the sport