Is the Premier League title race nearly over?
Liverpool’s win towards Southampton on Sunday moved them eight factors clear in prime spot.
Solely as soon as has a group had an even bigger lead after 12 video games and that was Manchester United. Clear by 9, they went on to win the title within the 1993-94 season.
Two different groups have led by eight factors at this stage – Manchester Metropolis in 2017-18 and Liverpool in 2019-20 – and each had been additionally topped champions.
Liverpool’s haul of 31 factors from the opening 12 matches has solely been equalled or bettered 10 occasions in Premier League historical past. Eight of these golf equipment went on to win the title, with solely Arsenal in 2022-23 and Newcastle in 1995-96 not celebrating on the finish of the season after such a powerful begin.
There are extra good indicators for Liverpool as they bid to finish Manchester Metropolis’s run of 4 successive title triumphs. By no means earlier than has a group misplaced 5 matches in a row – Metropolis’s present run – and grow to be champions.
If Arne Slot’s aspect beat Metropolis at Anfield on Sunday, they’d be 11 factors away from the holders – a deficit of that dimension has solely been clawed again 3 times within the Premier League.
“In the event you play on this league like this with so many high quality groups it’s important to maintain profitable, as a result of if you happen to do not the opposite ones will,” Slot instructed BBC Sport. “That is what we attempt to do each sport.”
Former Metropolis defender Nedum Onuoha instructed BBC Radio 5 Stay: “I’d be stunned if Liverpool do not go on and win the league this 12 months as a result of they really feel like probably the most well-rounded group. They’re getting sufficient factors on the board now to make their process for the ultimate stretch of the season simpler.”
Title race over then proper? Not essentially.
Has Liverpool’s begin to the season been comparatively beneficial? Opta have calculated the Reds had the sixth best first 10 fixtures out of any of the Premier League sides.
Metropolis’s begin although was ranked because the fifth best, with the Gunners on the different finish of the size with the seventh hardest fixtures.
The bottom factors tally a group had after 12 video games however nonetheless went on to win the title was Manchester United with 19 in 1997. Pep Guardiola’s males lifted the crown in 2021 from having simply 20 factors at this stage.
4 groups beneath Liverpool this season have greater than that tally.
Metropolis and Arsenal – eight and 9 factors behind respectively – would additionally rightly spotlight there are nonetheless 26 matches left to play and greater leads have been misplaced earlier than.
We have a look at the largest deficits to have been clawed again by Premier League winners.
