With the November international break out of the way, the Premier League season, and table, begins to take shape earnestly.
The headline with regard to the Premier League title race is that Liverpool appear to be back. They solidified their credentials with a 1 – 1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday.
Just two points separate Arsenal in first position and Liverpool in third. The busy festive period will determine if either team can keep pace with Manchester City.
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For now, Arsenal are here to stay as a title contender although they are vastly different from last season. Then, they rode the crest of a wave, scoring a record 88 goals in the process until they couldn’t ride the crest of the wave anymore.
This year, they are less bombastic and effervescent in attack and more defensively focussed. In fact, they are the best defense in the Premier League with only ten goals conceded.
Arsenal are hard to figure out this season. They’re top of the table without ever having looked particularly amazing yet. Their potential challenge is predicated on the idea that when they click, they’ll be even better. Once they do, their new defensive solidity can help them take the step they couldn’t take last year. At least that’s the idea.
Liverpool have gone back to their roots somewhat with a threatening offensive style that leaves them vulnerable at the back. Their underlying defensive statistics suggest a title challenge is unsustainable over a whole season. However, Jurgen Klopp has been here many times before, and his team are right in the mix.
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Manchester City, meanwhile, are Manchester City. Even if they are struggling for motivation after last year’s treble, they’re still one point off of the top of the Premier League. It is likely they will mechanically, inevitably begin to win every game they play sooner rather than later. The rest of us just have to hope that Arsenal or Liverpool can keep up long enough to make it interesting.
