There is still a three-way battle for the Premier League title. But while Manchester City are in the flow, what could be happening to Liverpool is happening to Chelsea. The trio in the check.
Manchester City (1st, 44 points, 44:9 goals)
In the recent 4-0 win at Newcastle, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden were missing from Manchester City’s starting eleven, apparently because they had taken time out at a nightclub during the week. It is an incident that says two things about the Premier League leaders. Firstly, it is precisely when Pep Guardiola dispenses with the most expensive and the most talented professional at the same time that he wins effortlessly. Secondly, if anything, ManCity only seem to be able to get in their own way this season.
For weeks, the defending champions have been demonstrating, almost tantalisingly, how classy and wide their squad is. No matter who plays: All of them know their roles in Guardiola’s system, and all of them are good enough to do their jobs as desired. With eight wins in a row, City have not only taken over at the top of the league, but have also eaten a bit of winter fat in the meantime. Even the discussions about a missing number 9 have fallen silent – at least for the time being – although Bernardo Silva, a midfielder, is the top scorer (7 goals).
The fact that Germany terror Ferran Torres, who arrived from Valencia in 2020 for 27 million euros and has a contract until 2025, is on the verge of a 55-million-euro winter transfer to FC Barcelona actually says everything about ManCity’s title chances: His departure wouldn’t even be a big deal. He has been injured since October anyway, the month City last failed to win a league game.
Liverpool FC (2nd, 41 points, 50:15 goals)
So it would presumably be quite boring if City also had a top goal scorer – someone like Mo Salah: With the Egyptian (18 games, 15 goals) Liverpool FC know the best player of the season so far in their ranks. But that is also a “problem”: At the beginning of the year, a phase in which the Reds have been stumbling for years anyway, the Africa Cup is scheduled, which will probably hit no coach as hard as Jürgen Klopp.
With Salah, Sadio Mané and Naby Keita, he will soon be missing three of his most important players for several weeks – if the tournament in Cameroon (9.1. to 6.2.) is not cancelled due to Omikron, despite all denials. Liverpool’s spectacular season, in which Klopp’s team has so far implemented his power football more excellently than at any time since the 20219/20 championship season, is in danger of being cut short.
The fact that the Reds have improved squad depth compared to previous years, but not ManCity-like depth, was already evident recently when the Corona wave took hold of individual key players; without Salah & Co. Klopp should be even happier for every work victory. And: If Omikron were to impose spectator restrictions or even ghost matches in England, none of the top 3 would suffer as much as Liverpool.
Chelsea FC (3rd, 38 points, 39:12 goals)
The personnel drought facing the Klopp eleven was experienced by Chelsea before Christmas. A Corona outburst recently left seven players missing for the 0-0 draw at Wolverhampton, their third draw in their last four games. Thomas Tuchel’s side, still first on matchday 14, have already piled up six points behind ManCity and three behind Liverpool and are in danger of dropping out of the title race sooner than expected.
And it’s not just to do with the viral load: the Blues have been finding it hard to win for weeks because they’re finding it hard to play to nil. Tuchel talks about “details” that don’t fit, but that can be enough with this competition (and that doesn’t just mean ManCity and Liverpool in this league). These details include the fact that individual mistakes (e.g. Jorginho, Mendy) have increased, that Jorginho is not at 100 per cent physically and, above all, that ball-conquering champion Kanté keeps dropping out. Overall, Tuchel’s team seems to be struggling with a certain fatigue.
