We are almost at the halfway stage in the Premier League season and at this point we usually have either one team ahead and in control, or a couple battling it out. This year couldn’t be further from that.
We have five teams who have genuine claims to the title this season, and all of them will probably feel that they have even more to give in the second half and can play better.
This is going to set us up for an incredible finish, and is a timely reminder of why the Premier League is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, football league in the world.
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Holders Liverpool are right in the mix, both Manchester teams, United and City are up there and don’t discount Tottenham and Leicester from getting involved too.
Liverpool Struggling to Assert Dominance
After winning the title in such a decisive manner last season, Liverpool were strongly backed by punters to win the league again. Both last season and this season, the bookmakers had the league as a two-horse race between Liverpool and Manchester City.
A good start for the holders saw them go odds on with bookmakers to win the title, but since then and with the recent rise of Manchester City, it is City who are now odds on to win it. Some bookmakers offer better odds than others, but every bookmaker has Manchester City odds on to win the title.
Liverpool are struggling with injuries and also lacking their usual goal scoring touch, but the simple fact is that they haven’t been anywhere near the level we saw last season. Without that, there are plenty of teams around them who can take advantage and challenge.
The Manchester Challenge
If a club dethrones Liverpool this season, it is likely that they will be from Manchester. Both City and United are in contention and can go above Liverpool with games in hand they play this month.
United are finally back up where they feel they belong, and it will be interesting to see how they spend in January, will we see some of the wild transfer rumours surrounding them come true?
The opposite can be said about Manchester City. They have been there and done it all before, and after a tough start to the season, all they will feel they need to compete is consistency. It appears as though they are slowly waking up to the challenge and are the team to watch as we move through 2021.
Some will say they need a striker to complete their team, but this is not a team that spends big in January, they often go with what they have, other than the odd tweak, and make their biggest moves in the summer.
Don’t Forget the Two Outsiders
Some will see this title race as a three-horse race with the clubs above but there are two more to look out for. The first to mention is Tottenham under Jose Mourinho. They started the new season brilliantly, but have struggled a little in recent weeks.
A return to the kind of form we saw at the start of the season would give them a huge chance. They recently lost against Liverpool, had they won that, they really would have announced themselves in the title race.
Finally, we must mention Leicester, who won the league not too long ago which was a huge shock, but if they do it this time around, it won’t be. They have quietly put themselves in with a chance at the top four this season and continue to pick up enough points to get them involved.
