With the season halfway done, the eventual champions can be inferred – though it’s still unsafe to say that these predictions are final.
Can anyone stop Liverpool?
In a word: no. Jürgen Klopp’s side has been superior and dominant in almost every aspect of the game. They were able to thwart any notion that their relentless championship run to a first league title in 30 years could be sent off-course due to match congestion before and after Christmas.
Some said that because of their tiring schedule – 13 games across 40 days across four different competitions between November 23 and January 5 – they would eventually fall short of the Premier League title due to fatigue. But with the recent draw in their FA Cup match against Everton, they’ve proven that they can keep up with the game’s pace. They’ve taken the maximum number of points from nine Premier League games during that period.
They now lead the league table with 58 points, with second-placed Leicester 13 points behind them. They were also able to beat them on Boxing Day. The players also seemed indestructible, keeping themselves healthy for extended periods of time. Even if some of their players do go down to injuries, it seems highly unlikely that they will suffer a meltdown.
Stay updated on Liverpool’s match odds on Sportsbet.io
Who is most likely to finish in the top four?
In case Liverpool does run away with the title (which looks like a great big possibility), the battle for the three remaining Champions League spots should provide the thrill and drama. Both Leicester and Manchester City have put enough distance between themselves as well as the title-chasing bonanza to show that they will take two spots. As for the fourth and final spot, it looks to be a race between Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It’s Chelsea’s battle to lose since they’re currently in fourth but just like Manchester United, they are consistently inconsistent. Frank Lampard’s side hasn’t won any back-to-back games since the first week of November but their hold on the fourth spot has actually tightened. Nonetheless, a winning streak from any of the aforementioned teams could put them in a tough spot.
Less than ten points separate Arsenal and Chelsea, with the former having a new take on the league thanks to Mike Arteta. They are still a threat to the fourth spot. A spot in the Europa League was beyond the wildest imagination of Crystal Palace and Sheffield United fans before the season even began. But as the season’s end draws closer, the chances of either of the clubs playing in the Europa League becomes more and more a reality.
Visit Sportsbet.io for updates on club standings
Who will get relegated?
Three teams in the Premier League’s history have been at the bottom of the table on Christmas Day and avoided relegation: West Brom, Sunderland and Leicester. However, as he did with the Foxes back in 2015, Nigel Pearson looks as though he could save Watford from relegation.
Hired as the club’s third manager of the season back in early December, he was the reason how the Hornets were able to win three out of the four games they played during the holiday season, ‘lifting the club off the foot of the table on Boxing Day and providing genuine hope to the denizens of Vicarage Road’.
Norwich urgently needs to start winning matches if they want to extend their stay in the Premier League while Bournemouth has been hit with injuries. In other words, it’s still anyone’s race to lose.
Check out Sportsbet.io for the latest match odds
