The race for the Premier League’s top six is approaching its crunch point, with Manchester City enjoying a commanding lead despite their derby day setback.
However, if Pep Guardiola’s men are odds-on favourites to regain the title they surrendered to Liverpool last season, the remaining five places among English football’s elite are very much still up for grabs.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at this season’s runners and riders, and the trends over the 28 seasons of the Premier League era to date some of them are attempting to buck.
Breaking the mould?
Gatecrashers not welcome
The usual suspects
The identities of the ‘big six’ statistically will come as no surprise. Thirteen-times champions Manchester United have finished in the top six at the end of 27 of those 28 campaigns, missing out only once by a single place in 2013-14 with David Moyes at the helm. Arsenal’s return of 25 and three titles puts them in second place with five-times winners Chelsea third on 23. Liverpool are only one worse off, but had to wait until last season for their first title, while Tottenham (13) are yet to lift the trophy. Manchester City, however, have won the league on four occasions from only 11 top-six visits.
Keeping it tight
Are you happy with your team’s finish in the 2019/20 #PL season? ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/Kf7HQ47PBJ
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 27, 2020
As the season neared the halfway stage, the race for the top six was on course to be the tightest ever with just eight points separating leaders Manchester United and Everton in sixth, but events since have seen Manchester City pull clear of the pack and establish a 19-point advantage over the men from Goodison Park five places below them. The gap between first and sixth at the end of the campaign has been fewer than 20 points on only five occasions – the lowest was 16 in 1996-97 – and hit a record 40 last season.
Money talks
It’s a long way back
? “How cheeky is that! That’s audacious!” #OnThisDay 20 years ago, #LUFC defeated Anderlecht 4-1 in the Champions League pic.twitter.com/bNp0KwM2V1
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 21, 2021
There is no room for complacency at the top end of the table and for some of those who have fallen from grace, it can be a struggle to return. Aston Villa and Newcastle have both spent time in the Sky Bet Championship having once been regarded as regulars, but no side has suffered more than Leeds. Champions League semi-finalists in 2001, they finished fifth at the end of the following campaign before a financial implosion which ultimately saw the club plummet to League One during a 16-year exile from the top flight.
