The first full weekend of English Premier League football since the winter transfer window closed was full of surprise and class.
Teams like Manchester City continued to show their dominance seeking its way to a fourth EPL title in the last five years. On the other side, Manchester United has continued to struggle, coming away with only one point against an inferior Southampton side. With so much left undecided in the remaining 15 or so matches, it will be crucial to use current form to predict the final table and who will see European football next season.
Starting at the top, Manchester City are the clear favorites to win the league. City and Liverpool have distanced themselves from the rest of the league, posting 63 and 54 points respectively up to this point. Both squads are sure to see UEFA Champions League football and will be seen as contenders next season.
With the final two UCL spots very much undecided, Chelsea leads the pack to grab a spot, followed by Arsenal. While Chelsea has an eight-point advantage over the Gunners, Arsenal have two games in hand and a date at Stamford Bridge as a result of this weekend’s postponed match. With Tottenham’s loss to Wolverhampton on Feb. 13, FiveThirtyEight gives the Gunners a 54% chance to make Champions League football, and both Arsenal and Chelsea are nearly certain to play European football next fall.
West Ham currently hold onto the four spot in the table but are projected to be a European football “bubble” team. Due to the 25 matches the Irons have played, four different teams can catch them with their games in hand. Clubs like Arsenal, who are two points behind but have three games in hand, can clear West Ham without playing perfect football. While they have surged the last two seasons and are playing solid football, they needed a stoppage time goal to salvage a point against an out-of-form Leicester team. The Irons will likely finish around seventh place, falling behind Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Manchester United came into the season with high title hopes. Through 24 matches, United can only hope to play in the Champions League and keep Cristiano Ronaldo happy. United can only be disappointed with their month of February so far and are still seeking their first win of the month. The club’s shocking 1-1 draw with Southampton has only amplified concerns of missing out on UCL football. United now have the fifth-best odds to make the UCL, according to FiveThirtyEight, but have a tall task ahead of them given their recent form. Look for United to fall short and compete in the Europa League next fall.
Wolves and Spurs are two clubs heading in completely different directions following their Feb. 13 fixture. Wolverhampton has put themselves in the mix to steal points from top clubs. While they were unable to finish the job against Arsenal, they will surely be looking to do so at the end of February when the two clubs meet at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, they were able to temporarily jump Spurs in the table on Sunday, Feb. 13 thanks to a 2-0 win on the road. Tottenham’s loss further highlights the recent struggles the club has faced. Earlier in the week, it was victim of a high scoring loss to Southampton and have not earned points since their Jan. 19 win at Leicester. While Wolves appear to be the better squad, they will likely finish eighth in the table, while Spurs are running out of time for a top four push. Tottenham will likely end the season in a dead heat with United.