Gameweek 14 saw some big games and crucial score lines which showed that Liverpool may not be able to run away with the title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
Dropping points against Newcastle, Liverpool have seen their lead at the top cut to 7 points, with wins for Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City closing the gap.
Chelsea’s last top-four finish was in the 21/22 season, where they finished third, but they currently occupy second spot in the table and have established themselves as strong contenders to finish in the top four this season.
A straightforward 5-1 win against 10-man Southampton on Wednesday night means that Enzo Maresca’s side move above fellow London side Arsenal on goal difference, with both sides having earned a total of 28 points so far this campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s side inflicted Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United manager at the Emirates to stay hot on the heels of the Blues.
After a goalless first half in North London, Timber opened the scoring within 10 minutes of the restart, with Saliba getting a second in the 54th minute to inflict yet another defeat on mid-table United.
Manchester City returned to winning ways, ending a poor run of form where they were winless in seven games in all competitions. Before their draw with Feyenoord, Guardiola reached five consecutive defeats for the first time in his career, both as a player and as a manager.
A 3-0 win on home turf against Nottingham Forest restored hope in their form, as they sit just two points adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea after 14 games.
With the gap being cut between the top four, there perhaps is a new hope that Slot’s side will continue to drop points over the remainder of the season, with at least three teams looking to capitalise on such a chance and close the gap further.
A busy December could see the top of the table change dramatically, not only because of the gap to the top, but also with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places currently sitting within 2 points of one another.
With five gameweeks left between now and the new year, it is clear that the table could look very different when 2025 comes around.
Most notably for City, the 195th Manchester Derby is just around the corner, and with Amorim winning against Guardiola when his former side Sporting defeated the English champions 4-1 in the Champions League, City will be looking to ensure Amorim doesn’t win two out of two.
A Merseyside derby is on the cards for Liverpool this weekend, as Slot takes to Goodison Park for his first derby in charge, with the rest of the top four also set to face Everton before the year is out.
Liverpool and Chelsea also both have a fixture against Spurs, who have shown quality this season, most notably beating City 4-0, despite a lack of consistency with results.
Arsenal meanwhile face Fulham this weekend before three straight league games against sides in the bottom six.
With several exciting fixtures on the cards, results could go either way, but dropping points in any fixture could be hard-hitting across the table, as the pack looks to close in on the top spot and capitalise on any dropped points to better their position in the top four.
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