Things are heating up in the Premier League and it will only get hotter from this point on. Just 15 games to go and we can’t predict the top four with certainty. Yes, Chelsea and Manchester City look set, but what about the third and fourth spot? Southampton lost 0 – 1 to Gary Monk’s Swansea City on Sunday and they have now slipped up to the fourth spot. No other soccer league offers such excitement and unpredictability and hence it is the most watched league in the world.
There was no clear winner at the Stamford Bridge on Saturday and the final score line was 1 – 1. Loic Remy opened the scoring for Chelsea, while David Silva got the equalizer for the Citizens. Manchester City are now only five points away from the third placed, Manchester United. Louis van Gaal’s team picked up three points at the weekend as they entertained Leicester City at Old Trafford. The Red Devils were in total control of the game and they held on to the 3 – 1 score line, unlike their last meeting with Leicester. In September 2014, United gave up a two goal lead and lost 5 – 3 at the King Power Stadium. Despite a win, the 20-time English champions can slip off to the sixth spot after losing only one game. This tells us how fierce the fight for the Champions League spot is in England this year.
Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal are back in contention for the top four and they look quite comfortable and more solid at the back. The North Londoners are also boosted by the return of Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, after the pair missed out most of the first half of the season. They can certainly capitalize if any of the sides in the top four slip. There is no point difference between the Gunners and Saints. Both these clubs are breathing on Manchester United’s neck with a difference of only one point. Arsenal registered an impressive 5 – 0 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates. The Villans are in deep trouble as they haven’t scored a goal in 10 hours of play time.
The other serious contenders for the Champions League place are Tottenham Hotspurs and Liverpool. The runners-up last season, Liverpool have picked up pace off late, and with the return of Daniel Sturridge things are looking brighter for the Merseyside giants. The five-time European champions won 2 – 0 at Anfield against the high flying West Ham United. Sam Allardyce’s team couldn’t stop Sturridge from making his mark, after coming off the bench. The striker took only a few minutes to score his first goal in months and Liverpool’s second of the night. They have a real shot at a top four finish as they are only four points away from the fourth spot. Tottenham Hotspurs, on the other hand, have a difficult set of fixtures coming up. Spurs defeated West Brom over the weekend with the help of their star men: Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Kane has certainly been a revelation this season at White Hart Lane. He is one of the top scorers of the league and his ability in front of goal is second to none. Eriksen is a breath of fresh air and arguably one of the best players in the league, based on his performances this season. This duo could inspire Pochettino’s side to claim a spot in the top four.
Everton traveled to Crystal Palace at the weekend and the Eagles couldn’t stop the Toffees from picking up three points. The game at Selhurst Park ended 1 – 0 in favor of Roberto Martinez’s side. Stoke and Sunderland won their matches at home against QPR and Burnley respectively. Newcastle won big away from home at Hull City. This match ended 3 – 0 and with only 19 points, Steve Bruce’s team will have to battle in the relegation zone.