The Premier League takes an all-too-familiar turn

By: Rob | February 6th, 2010

One of the nice things about this season in the Premier League has been that there has been a bit of a shift at the top. Partly due to Liverpool having a really bad first half of the season, and partly due to the clubs slightly below catching up, it looked like this season might be the first in quite a while with a (slightly) changed Top Four.

Alas, this evening the top four spaces of the Premier League are again filled with the names of those Big Four clubs – Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Liverpool climbed back into the top four after a fiery 1-0 win against local rivals Everton, in which they had a man sent off, while Man United moved top after a 5-0 demolition of troubled bottom club Portsmouth. Chelsea and Arsenal meet tomorrow afrernoon. Does this mean a return to a supposedly predictable Big Four finish? Not quite, as the table below reveals

premier league table3

Liverpool only stayed in the top four because fifth placed Spurs had a tricky game against Aston Villa (who could have leapfrogged Spurs with a win themselves) – a game that ended in an entertaining goalless draw.

You might also note that Manchester City have two games in hand, and so really, are in the position of advantage.

So Liverpool are a long long way from safely back into the Champions League spots. They certainly need it, if rumours about how much money the club actually has behind the scenes are true. Its certainly going to be an explosive run in for that last spot – much more than usual.

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Category: English Premier League

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alecto

liverpool as of now are just 5 pts behind arsenal(after their defeat against chelsea).so if they win against them on Wednesday(which is looking more likely),they would move within two pts of arsenal.So at this time,arsenal aren't assured of the third place.
Michael

Daniel, I believe you are unfortunately interpreting my comment as having taken place a day late. As of the morning before the derby (and thus before the Villa-Spurs as well), City, Villa, Spurs could each have ended with more points if they converted their games in hand perfectly. The tie between Villa and Spurs, which was the focus of my comment, put Spurs a point short on evens with Liverpool in games played and put Villa three short with a game in hand, the goal differential being as you mentioned highly unlikely of being achieved. In fact, your interpretation of there now being only City with a reasonable chance of converting games in hand into a fourth place position underscores the very improvement in Liverpool's chances which I was attempting to convey!

Good to know we're on the same page.
Daniel

"this morning there were three teams with an opportunity to overtake the Reds on games in hand alone."

Hmm, I suggest you take another look at that table. Liverpool are on 44 points. If Man City win both games in hand they'll jump to 47 points. So thats 1 team. However Liverpool play City they'll have chance to play both those games. Villa can go to 44 points if they win there single game in hand, however to go above Liverpool they'd have to win that game by 5 clear goals. So I guess thats two teams. I don't see a third, as Tottenham have played the same amount of games, and Birmingham would only be on 40 points if they won both there games in hand.

Liverpools destiny very much in there own hands at this point.
Ed

Well if this doesn't piss all over the flames of my optimism I don't know what will.
Jon

Unfortunately for the reds, I guarantee their routine for next week will goa little something like this:
1. Fail to beat Arsenal
2. Watch Tottenham and possibly other rivals win against crap teams (Except Villa)
3. Lose 4th
Rob

But in a very literal sense, they stayed in the top four today because villa and spurs drew.
Marlon

"Liverpool only stayed in the top four because fifth placed Spurs had a tricky game against Aston Villa (who could have leapfrogged Spurs with a win themselves) – a game that ended in an entertaining goalless draw."

Beating both of these teams during the second half of the season probably helped.
Michael

The Villa-Spurs draw today was absolutely vital for Liverpool... this morning there were three teams with an opportunity to overtake the Reds on games in hand alone. This evening, City is the only remaining club with a chance of accomplishing that feat. It's still uphill, but one could argue that the Villa-Spurs draw was as beneficial to Liverpool's Champions League hopes as the derby victory itself.