The Premier League is back full-time and it is time to wonder if after 22 games played, can we suggest that the league title has come down to 3 teams? Liverpool are in first place and they are roaring on at the top with 51 points and are five points clear of Manchester City, of course City have played a game less. The huge news last week was that Jurgen Klopp will leave as manager of Liverpool at the end of the season. It was a shock but a week is a long time in football and that shock has now turned to togetherness. Liverpool are all in for this season where they have the chance to win a special quadruple. The players have not been affected at all by Klopp's news, the German will go down as a legend with the Reds and the players will do everything in their power to bring trophies back to Anfield, and they are looking as good as ever. Their first trophy hunt will be the Carabao Cup in which they have reached the final and will play Chelsea, a side they have just destroyed 4-1 in the league. So of course Liverpool are one of the sides in the title hunt.
The other is Manchester City who are trying to win the top flight English league title for a fourth time in a row. Ever since the league's inception in 1888 no side has ever won four in a row and a win would cement something incredible in City's history and add to the greatness of Pep Guardiola. The current five point gap will mean little to the champions because they have a game in hand as mentioned but also because they are playing like champions and have found their groove once more especially since the return of Kevin De Bruyne. The third side is Arsenal who are searching for their first league title in 20 years, which is remarkable given the quality of the side over the years. Arsenal have had some wobbles but are hanging in there although you sense that they simply cannot afford anymore not against Liverpool and Manchester City who have proven time and again how fantastic their consistency can be in the winter/spring months. Arsenal will be hoping that their strong home form will give them a chance and for now they make up the top three.
But what of Tottenham and Aston Villa? These two clubs have had brilliant moments this season but have been nothing more than pace setters. That isn't to sound too harsh on them of course. Tottenham have had to deal with the loss of Harry Kane and have a new manager who has never managed in the Premier League before, considering that and the club have been superb. But it's difficult to put them into the title race when they are 8 points behind the league leaders and 60% of the season has gone and then there are the 3 quality sides ahead of them. Aston Villa lost their unbeaten record at home this week but they have still been very impressive and of course their 'league title' this season would be qualifying for the Champions League and that cannot be ruled out. Unai Emery has been pound for pound the best manager in the league so far but perhaps the wheels need to change slightly as Villa try to navigate the best way around the league in the second half of the season and the task will become greater for the Villains.
To win the Premier League: Manchester City 1.72, Liverpool 3.00, Arsenal 10.00, Tottenham 34.00, Aston Villa 81.00
Had you asked most football followers who they thought would be relegated at the beginning of the season you would have had a confident response: 'Luton'. There were some facts to back it up, one of them was that this was a club who had never experienced the Premier League before as they had been absent from top flight football for 31 years. Then there was the ground, it was no Premier League fit ground, sandwiched into a street you can see the away fans arriving from your back garden, everything about Luton just screamed unprofessional. And yet here we are in February and the Hatters are not in the relegation zone. It's true that they have occupied 18th position for the majority of the time but after brilliant form over the past two months it felt inevitable that the club would escape the bottom three.
On form Luton would be in… wait for it 4th place and they have won 10 points from their last 15 on offer. They have a better recent record than Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal and just underline how strong the Premier League is. But how is it that Luton have been able to improve? One aspect is the high press that manager Rob Edwards has introduced and also he has drilled his team into understanding how important it is to make their home a difficult place to come too. One of the very original Premier League sides to do this who would be bottom half finishers was Bolton and Stoke also took note of this. Could Luton follow their lead and become staple sides of the top flight for a long period? Maybe, but whilst Luton have been difficult to beat at home they have still lost 6 times here from 11 games, it's just that these games have been real battlers for teams such as Arsenal,Chelsea and Manchester City, only one goal was the difference in those games. This week Luton rubber stamped and confirmed that they have something to say in the battle against relegation as they smashed a quality side in Brighton 4-0, who could have seen that coming? Not Everton who have suffered because of Luton's recent form and now the Toffees have fallen into the bottom three.
To be relegated: Sheffield United 1.01, Burnley 1.25, Luton 1.72, Nottingham Forest 2.75, Everton 3.75
Who would be Erik ten Hag? It must feel like he has two roles at Manchester United, one a manager the other a teacher. It seems that his legacy at the club will be about disciplining players rather than actual success. He has to even deal with Cristiano Ronaldo at one point but this season alone he has frozen out Jadon Sancho who may never play under him again. Sancho hasn't played since September and has now been loaned out to Borussia Dortmund. But an unlikely player has faced discipline this week in the shape of Marcus Rashford, who had to miss the club's FA Cup game through illness. Reports suggest that Rashford was at a party in Ireland 48 hours before the game and Ten Hag is far from pleased. We have witnessed in the past you don't mess with the Dutchman and yet Ten Hag has hinted that Rashford will not be dropped from the team. This United squad has so much talent in it but you can't help but feel that they look like a ship lost at sea and that perhaps the dressing room has turned toxic.
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