A number of missteps this week shake up the power rankings. Chelsea stumbled at Stoke, most importantly, while the other key clubs—Arsenal, Man City, and Everton—each drew. A notable exclusion is Liverpool. Despite sitting in second place with 30 points, they still don’t impress me as having staying-power. With Sturridge and now Gerrard out for a month, we’ll see if they have the mettle to rise to the challenge. For now, I’m content to pencil them in in fifth, just out of sight. Should they prove me wrong, I’ll happily make room for them, either by elevating them to the top four or by expanding my table. Elsewhere, Man U lost at home to Newcastle, who have climbed to 27 points, good for 7th place. Man U has now fallen to ninth. The knives are sharpening. Spurs eked out a 2-1 win over Sunderland, enough for the knives to be laid down if not put away. Southampton righted things a bit; drawing with Man City ends a three-game losing streak. It looks to be a three-team race, with us, Man City, and Chelsea the front-runners. For more on that, see @goonerdave66’s run-down at 1nildown2oneup.
Without further ado, here are this week’s power rankings…
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Power (previous)
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Last Five
(old to new) |
Record
(W-D-L)
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Prem
Table |
Comments
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Next Fixture
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1. Arsenal (1)
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1-1 Everton
(LWWWD)
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11-2-2
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1 (35)
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A tough but well-fought home draw against one of our toughest opponents yet keeps us five points clear, but does it suggest a loss of momentum?
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At Napoli Wednesday (UCL)
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2. Man City (2)
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1-1 at Soton (WLWWD)
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9-2-4
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4 (29)
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While not quite a tonic for their away-woes, the draw was a tough one to claim, even with Soton’s recent slump. That said, they looked strangely passive in the second half while Soton nearly found a winner.
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At Bayern Wednesday
(UCL) |
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3. Everton (4)
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1-1 at Arsenal
(DDWWD)
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7-7-1
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5 (28)
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Another impressive away-display earned a vital point. Without the glamour of its rivals, and without European commitments to distract them, the Toffees are quietly serving notice that they are for real.
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Fulham Saturday
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4. Chelsea (3)
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2-3 at Stoke
(DWWWL)
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9-3-3
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2 (30)
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Yet another unconvincing display knocks Chelsea down a new notches. After struggling to beat Sunderland last week, conceding three goals to Stoke suggests that there are nagging doubts about Chelsea.
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Steaua Wednesday
(UCL) |