How Many Legitimate EPL Title Contenders Are There?
England, United Kingdom - The English Premier League enters matchday 11 this weekend and the top five teams are separated by just four points. Hailed as the most competitive league in European soccer, the EPL title has been a two-team race for the last half decade. Through the late 2010s and up until 2022, it was all about the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City. Last year, the Reds were replaced by Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s squad squandered the top spot over the last month of the season to hand the Cityzens their third consecutive league trophy. However, the 2023-24 campaign has been much different. Tottenham currently sits atop the league table with a slew of hungry sides nipping at their heels. With a congested title picture, it’s time to break down which clubs have a legitimate chance at bringing home soccer’s most coveted league trophy.
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A REAL SHOT
Manchester City-
Despite already losing two matches, this Manchester City squad is arguably the most talented side Pep Guardiola has coached since arriving in 2016. Currently sitting in third place with 24 points, MC has conceded a league-best seven goals this season. While perhaps not as dominant as City teams in the past, every single position on the field is occupied by a world class player. Although the Mancunian’s are in third, based on their wealth of title experience and the overall quality of their team, it seems impossible not to consider City the favorites for the title.
Liverpool-
The Reds looked like a shell of themselves at times last season, going four matches without a win in January and into February. Liverpool turned it around, however, and finished the season on an 11 match unbeaten streak. That solid play has continued into this campaign, with LFC currently in fourth place. Even with concerns about certain positions, Liverpool still manages to win week after week. The play of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez has provided manager Jurgen Klopp with a consistent source of goals. While perhaps not as deep as some of the other teams in the Prem., Liverpool’s relentless style of play makes them a handful for any club. LFC have proven to be the only team in the league to challenge Manchester City over the last five years. The Reds’ 2019-20 title was the only thing stopping MC from six straight titles.
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Tottenham-
Yes, you read that right, Tottenham Hotspur are a real title contender this season. The perennial laughing stocks of the “Big Six” have proven that they are not to be messed with under new manager Ange Postecoglou. Tottenham are in first place in the EPL and are one of two teams in the league without a tally in the loss column. It would be easy to write off the London side if they were just winning games off of talent alone, but this is certainly not the case in 2023. Spurs have already beaten Manchester United and Liverpool despite appearing like the lesser team on paper. Their most impressive performance came in Emirates Stadium, drawing with Arsenal 2-2 and looking like they were the better side in the process. In all honesty, Tottenham are an injury or two away from possibly dropping down the table, however if Spurs manage to stay healthy, their unique blend of experience and youth could be what is needed in order to uproot traditional challengers like Liverpool and Manchester City.
NOT TOO FAR BEHIND
Arsenal-
Along with London rival Tottenham, Arsenal has not lost a match this season. The Gunners are in second place in the EPL, but Mikel Arteta’s squad has looked shaky throughout the season. On paper, Arsenal should be squarely ahead of Tottenham and Liverpool in terms of title chances, however after taking a glance at some of the underlying numbers, the issue with the Gunners becomes much more clear. AFC is significantly outperforming its expected goals tally with 23 scores on just 19 xG. While Arsenal has found the back of the net in every match, it hasn’t always been easy. The London side has had to pull out late goals against Chelsea and Manchester City despite looking pedestrian in both of those contests. Perhaps most notable is the fact that the Gunners have been stricken with an injury bug. Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, and Emile Smith Rowe are all out for the foreseeable future. Part of the big reason for Arsenal’s fall from the top last season was attributed to a lack of depth and with injuries plaguing Arteta’s squad, it could be a similar issue this season.
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DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
Aston Villa-
Arsenal and Aston Villa could not be in more different positions. While the Gunners have failed to truly find their stride, the Villains are playing some of the best soccer in all of Europe right now. After two losses in the first four games, Villa has gone six games unbeaten, outscoring their opponents 18-5 in the process. Unai Emery is making his case to be considered one of the best managers in the world with the form that Aston Villa is in. With an attacking style of play, Villa has found itself in fifth place in the table. Four Aston Villa players have already notched three goals or more, an impressive feat for a squad whose goal scoring responsibility almost exclusively rested on striker Ollie Watkins last season. It’s quite the uphill battle for Aston Villa, however, one thing that the Birmingham side has going for it is the competition at the top of the league. If Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Arsenal “cannibalize” each other, there could be an opening for Aston Villa to move up the table. It might not be as unforeseen as Leicester City’s improbable run to the title in 2015, but it would still be a crazy story if Emery could pull it off. If the Villains continue their form and avoid key injuries late into December, they could genuinely find themselves in a position to challenge for the title.
