Premier League title race is wide open; every team has issues

Manchester United are in the Premier League title race after manager Erik ten Hag stumbled upon a winning formula; Arsenal top the table despite doubts over their two senior goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya; Tottenham Hotspur can draw level with defending champions Manchester City with victory at the Etihad on Sunday, despite three consecutive league defeats. And then there’s Aston Villa, who started the season with a 5-1 defeat at Newcastle but emerged as surprise challengers after moving to within two points of top spot with a 2-1 win at Spurs this weekend.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw between City and Liverpool at the Etihad looked like a match between the teams most likely to finish in the top two when the season ends in May, but for now the title race 2023-24 has become a football version of the cartoon “Wacky Races”, with none of the contenders safe from the pitfalls that the best teams usually know how to avoid.

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Even City, last season’s three-time winners, showed vulnerabilities. Who would have expected Pep Guardiola’s side to lose to Wolves in September, then follow it up with a defeat at Arsenal a week later? Meanwhile, Liverpool have been perhaps the most consistent of the expected challengers, losing just once in the league so far – and that came amid two red cards and one of the moments most controversial in the Premier League when VAR disallowed a legitimate Luis Díaz goal – – but they also needed a stoppage-time equalizer to snatch a point from Luton earlier this month, as the Jurgen Klopp’s team also showed vulnerabilities.

It is unusual, if not unique, that the Premier League’s top seven teams are only separated by seven points at this stage. All teams have now completed more than a third of their season, and none have emerged as clear favorites to become champions. It has been an unpredictable and sometimes chaotic season. The fact that United are just six points off top spot, having made their worst start to a campaign since the 1980s, suggests that while we are primed for a competitive title race, this one lacks a exceptional team.

But maybe that’s the beauty of this season. Man City’s dominance has been good for them, but for no one else – especially for the Premier League as a brand, which bills itself as the most exciting in the world. If Guardiola’s side win the title and become the first in English football history (dating back to the inaugural season in 1888) to win four successive championships, the Premier League will begin to be compared to the German Bundesliga and the long- Bayern Munich footage. domination of the term.

The inconsistencies of the leading teams this season add to the spectacle of the Premier League: all it takes is one club finding an extra gear to stop City. It doesn’t seem credible that United can be this team, despite the fact that six points is a minimal deficit to make up with two-thirds of the season remaining.

United are top of the table, having won five of their last six league matches, but even their most ardent supporter would struggle to boast of a match they dominated. Injuries and loss of form suffered by key players from last season, including Lisandro Martínez, Raphaël Varane, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, forced Ten Hag to turn to players it was happy to get rid of, such as Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay. Teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo’s standout performance in the 3-0 win at Everton on Sunday suggested he will get a sustained run in the team and if Marcus Rashford can start shooting again, then United could step up yet again , although their performance suggests otherwise.

Newcastle, a point behind United in seventh, are capable of beating anyone, especially at home, and thanks to their Saudi owners they have the financial strength to make significant additions to Eddie Howe’s squad in January . Saturday’s clash against United at St James’ Park will be a key indicator of both teams’ prospects.

The villa must not be reduced either. Unai Emery’s pedigree as a top manager is unquestionable and he has built a confident attacking team in just 12 months at Villa Park. Their squad may lack depth and top teams could punish Villa for their high defensive line, but if they can avoid injuries they could keep themselves in the top four.

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And what about the Spurs? The Ange Postecoglou revolution has slowed down after three successive defeats while injuries are very painful, particularly with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven facing long-term absences. Postecoglou’s team is so offensive that they will surely return to the winning path soon. Even though Sunday’s trip to City seems like the worst possible place to get back into shape, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool attacked City and were rewarded. Spurs could benefit by taking the same approach.

The real threat to City will likely come from Liverpool and Arsenal. Liverpool must address their defensive failings and hope that goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s hamstring injury is not a problem that forces him out for an extended period. Arsenal, meanwhile, just need one of their goalkeepers – Raya or Ramsdale – to settle down and silence the noise around the position that has been created by manager Mikel Arteta’s mixed messages over who is his number 1 and Why.

City will certainly be worried that there are so many rivals capable of thwarting them this year, despite Erling Haaland’s goals (18 in 19 games this season) and Rodri’s emergence as the most important midfielder of the Premier League. Guardiola’s side are still favourites, but with so many teams within reach, City need to up their game to keep them at bay.