A quick glance at the Premier League table reveals one of the most open title races in many years. For sure, the impact of having so many games in such a short space of time has likely contributed to things being so even, but rather than seeing one or two teams open up a hefty lead over the teams chasing, we now see a situation where just six points separates top of the table from Aston Villa and Manchester City in 10th and 11th respectively, with both of those teams having a game in hand.
In some weekends, we have seen the teams at the top of the table change hands three or four times as results have come in at different times and this does make for an exciting title race. However, with a quarter of the season gone, who are the genuine title contenders in this group, and who are the pretenders, whose early season form may dwindle away over the coming weeks and months? Who would you back to win the Premier League at this point?
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Let’s now take a look at the teams who will feel they are in contention for the Premier League title this season given that we are now a quarter of the way through the season.
Premier League Title Contenders & Odds
Tottenham Hotspurs – 11/2
Jose Mourinho has got this Spurs team moving in the right direction once again and they do look likely to be one of the big threats for the title. The signing of Gareth Bale adds depth and quality to an already stacked attack and the fact that they haven’t been hit quite so hard by the injury issues as other teams has helped. Jose’s experience with Chelsea and Man Utd will stand Spurs in good stead this year and I do feel that along with City, Chelsea and Liverpool, they are most likely to be in the battle at the top come the end of the season.
Liverpool – 2/1
The 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa apart, Liverpool’s start to the season has been pretty solid. Even more so when you factor in the number of injuries they have in defence and to key personnel over that time. Factor in the fact that they have also already played Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton on the road (picking up five points from those games), plus Leicester at home, and it means the Reds have played a large proportion of what have been traditionally their toughest games. Injuries may well hamper them a little going forward, but Liverpool would still be my pick to retain their title this year.
Chelsea – 11/2
Frank Lampard invested heavily in his squad over the end of season period and it is paying dividends for Chelsea. Having lost just once this season, at home to Liverpool, the London side are looking strong and I think they are an absolute certainty for the top four this season and I would not be surprised if they make a real attempt on the title, although I do feel they may just fall short in that quest.
Leicester City – 40/1
Remember when 5000/1 Leicester won the Premier League title? Well Brendan Rodgers men are 40/1 at present to do so again. They have produced some fine performances this season, notably in a 5-2 win at Man City, but they have also had some poor displays against lower level opponents and while I feel they will grab a Europa League qualification spot and challenge for the top four, I think that will be as good as it gets for the Foxes.
West Ham – 250/1
Despite the doom and gloom projections by many West Ham United fans at the start of the season, the Hammers now lie fifith in the table having won half of their ten games so far. They are a decent side though and I think David Moyes is doing a good job and I think they could be dark horse challengers for a Europa League spot come the end of the season.
Southampton – 250/1
Ralph Hassenhuttl’s team could have been in an even stronger position had they held on to their 2-0 lead against Manchester United at the weekend, but losing that game was a big blow for the Saints. They are still in amuch better position than this time last season but I think as the season wears on, they will drift down towards the mid-table positions.
Wolves – 150/1
Nuno Santos team will be looking to build on a solid performance last season which saw them just miss out on the Europa League places and while they should be there or thereabouts again this season, I can’t really see them improving a great deal on that as breaking into the top four looks likely to be beyond them. They should be good for a Europa League spot.
Everton – 150/1
Everton were top of the table after four games this season, but since then they have picked up just four more points from their next six matches. Carlo Ancelotti will get this team moving back in the right direction shortly I am sure, but I don’t really see them as being a genuine title contender this season, but they may well push hard for a Europa League qualification spot.
Manchester United – 20/1
Four wins in a row have moved Manchester United onto 16 points with a game in hand on the teams above them. Win that and United could, as things stand, move into fourth. I’m not truly convinced United are the real deal just yet though. They have had too many inconsistent performances already this season, especially at home. They will be around the top four come May but that is as good as it will get I feel.
Aston Vila – 400/1
Aston Villa have a game in hand on the teams above them (bar Manchester United) but after an incredible start, which saw them beat Liverpool 7-2, they have won just one of their last four games and are dropping down the table. Villa will do much better than last season’s relegation battle, but they probably won’t be near the top four come May.
Manchester City – 7/4 favourites
It’s strange to see the team 11th in the Premier League table as the favourites to win the league, but with a game in hand, Manchester City could move up to 4th in the table, three points behind the top teams. Pep Guardiola’s squad has great depth and City can rotate players in and out their team with little discernible drop off in performance. This fact alone makes them a good pick as favourites, but they have looked much more vulnerable so far this season and they still have some very tough games to come in the coming weeks. They’ll go close in my view, but may just miss out again.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of 9am on Tuesday 1st December 2020.
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