Before the start of the 20-21 season of the Premier League, no one could have believed that it’ll be such a close fight. After the first 10 rounds, it was clear that Liverpool was in the driving seat. City, United, Arsenal, and Chelsea were far behind, and everyone believed that Klopp’s team is in for a repeat.
Seventeen rounds in and the table looks much different. The van Dijk injury has resulted in Liverpool’s abysmal run of form. City and United capitalized on the Reds’ mistakes, and halfway through the season, the Red Devils are on the top.
A Very Close Fight
It’s not just about United – City seems to be back in title contention as well. Guardiola’s troops are currently sitting third behind United and City, but with two missed games. If City wins those, there’s a great chance that it can occupy the top.
What seemed like another title for Liverpool not 10 rounds ago now looks like a full-blown 3-horse race. What’s most surprising is that the three top teams are pretty close in stats and points. United is sitting at the top with 36, Liverpool is behind with 33, while City is third just a point behind the Reds.
The action-packed fixture list for all of them begins this weekend with the United-Liverpool derby. It’s a match that should give plenty of answers and may even help City capitalize if it wins against Crystal Palace on the same day.
If we break down the recent form of the teams, it all points to a Liverpool defeat. The Reds may be playing at home, but they’re currently in a slump they can’t seem to get out of. Nothing’s been going right for the defending champions. During the Christmas rounds, Liverpool has only scored once. The awful conversion rate (2.22%) doesn’t promise improvements soon, so it’s not a great time for Klopp’s team to face the in-form Red Devils.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team is currently on an 11-game unbeaten PL run. Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial are playing great right now, and Paul Pogba’s winner against Burnley that put United at the top of the table will surely give the Frenchman a boost. It’ll surely be a close fight, with many experts believing in a draw.
That could be a chance for City to climb up the table with a win. While they’re facing a tricky side in Crystal Palace, City has all the quality to win and put even more pressure on United and the Reds.
A Full-Blown Title Race
It seems that we’ve got a wide-open race for the title between PL’s three top teams – City, United, and Liverpool. The start of the season didn’t promise much excitement, but the last few rounds showed why the Premier League is the best football competition in the world.
With half the season to go, we predict twists and turns that can put anyone on top. That’s exactly what the season needs in these trying times – top action and anticipation.
