Title race decided by our writers as Arsenal and Tottenham surprise Man City

Title race decided by our writers as Arsenal and Tottenham surprise Man City

Domestic football returns this weekend as Liverpool travel to Man City in what is a huge game in the title race – but who will lift the Premier League trophy come May? Our writers have their say!
and Arsenal are among the sides battling for the Premier League title (Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Premier League football is back this weekend following the third international break of the season. It’s been nearly two weeks since we witnessed the thrilling 4-4 draw between Chelsea and Man City, a result which saw Pep Guardiola’s side remain top of the league.

Liverpool, who travel to the Etihad Stadium in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, are one point behind the Cityzens and a win for Jurgen Klopp’s men will see the Reds leapfrog their title rivals. Arsenal are also one point behind City in third place, where as Tottenham are fourth following two defeats on the bounce.

Clubs have now played 12 matches in the league this campaign and it remains incredibly tight at the top of the table, with just three points separating Man City in first and Aston Villa in fifth. That could change in the coming weeks, however, with most clubs playing eight league games between now and December 31.

So, how will the Premier League table look as we enter 2024 and come May next year? Our football.london writers have their say below.

Sam Truelove – Content Editor
This season’s title race could be more thrilling than last campaign. I think it’s fair to say, at this stage, there are four teams in with a shout; Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou and his team are an interesting one and if they can remain near the top of the table come Christmas, Spurs will have proven they are real title contenders. They do have the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Ivan Perisic out injured, however, which does raise doubts over whether or not they can keep winning games at the rate they have.

Arsenal and Liverpool will both challenge Man City this year, I have no doubt about that. The Gunners came extremely close to winning their first title since 2004 last season and have been ticking along nicely since the opening gameweek in August. Brentford away this weekend is a good test and, if results go their way, Mikel Arteta’s side could find themselves top come Saturday evening. That will certainly lay down a nice marker.

While City are still my favourites to be crowned champions, Liverpool will run them close. The Reds look back to their best attacking-wise and Saturday’s game at the Etihad Stadium could be a great one for the neutral. Guardiola’s side face Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa in their next three fixtures so I’m hoping they drop plenty of points to give us a title race worth remembering.

Aaron Catterson-Reid – Trends Writer

Manchester City are the obvious favourites to win the Premier League again this term. Pep Guardiola’s side are a well-oiled machine that just seems to churn out wins, especially at the business end of the season.

However, I think both Liverpool and Arsenal can give them a run for their money. The Reds have shown in the past that they have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with City.

Virgil van Dijk seems to be getting back to his best and Mohammed Salah’s inevitability in the final third makes Jurgen Klopp’s men a force to be reckoned with, although their issues in the middle of the park aren’t completely resolved. Alexis Mac Allister is a superb midfielder but he is more of a number eight than a six, something that could very well cost them in transition.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have the opposite issue: they are elite at the back but struggle to consistently create openings. Martin Odegaard is a world-class talent on his day but his current role of operating in the final third restricts the Gunners’ creative output.

Unless he takes the playmaking reins, I don’t think the north Londoners will have enough in the tank to pip City to the title but I reckon it will be close. Tottenham Hotspur have also looked excellent in the opening months of the campaign but it looks like the Lilywhites’ squad isn’t quite deep enough to deal with injuries, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven’s absences costing them recently.

Rob Guest – Tottenham Hotspur reporter

The Premier League table makes for very interesting reading at present with only three points separating league leaders Man City and Aston Villa in fifth. It does raise the prospect of a title race involving multiple teams that goes right down to the wire.

Man City, as ever, are the favourites to get their hands on the famous trophy once again but it may not be so straightforward with Liverpool and Arsenal breathing down their neck. Jurgen Klopp’s men do appear to be getting back to their best and it may be them who really push City for first place come the end of the season, with Arsenal perhaps just not having enough in the tank to finish above those two teams.

Tottenham’s excellent start to the season hit a bump in the road just prior to the international break following two successive defeats and the loss of key players Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to injury until early next year. Now facing a tough period of games, it is going to be about how exactly Postecoglou’s team respond to the big setbacks over the coming weeks as they look to put themselves in a good position come the start of 2024.

Tottenham perhaps don’t have the strength in depth that the current top three have but they could benefit from a clear calendar in the final months of the season due to their lack of European football. Man City will be the team that prevails, though, and the current top five may still be in that exact order come the final day of the 2023/24 season.

Tom Coley – US Audience writer

To see five teams within touching distance of top spot at this stage is a really promising thing. Aston Villa deserve to be in the conversation for now at least, just like Tottenham after their stellar start, but I can’t see either of them sustaining it for long enough to make this a true title challenge. The battle for top four/five will really hot up and be competitive though, that just relies on some form from lower down with Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea finding consistency.

Arsenal seem to have ended up in the mix despite not being overly convincing in too many of their games which is both a positive and a negative. Whilst winning ugly is a good sign it doesn’t feel too sustainable, especially not with the way that City and Liverpool have been performing.

I had doubts over Arsenal’s summer business (outside of Declan Rice, he’s just sensational) and it is partially proving true. Kai Havertz just isn’t a player that fits the Gunners and doesn’t solve any questions that were lingering, he only adds more. The midfield in general looks shaky and too much is on Rice’s shoulders for Arteta’s side to match last season let alone go a step further.

Liverpool are interesting and hugely entertaining, they’ve sort of gone under the radar really. We’ll see how they get on against Pep Guardiola’s side but the midfield approach sure seems risky in big games and that might let them down. The champions and treble winners still don’t have Kevin De Bruyne back yet and don’t peak until February yet top the table. That’s ominous and I can’t see it changing.

Kieran Horn – Trends Writer

After last season’s tense battle between Arsenal and Manchester City, another two-horse race looked on the cards but the opening 12 weeks of the season have taught us that may not be the case. Liverpool and Tottenham have both recruited efficiently to at the very least place themselves in the conversation with the latter sitting top and undefeated for a number of months.

However, Spurs’ squad depth has been exposed by those injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven and regardless of what they do in January it will likely cost them and a fourth place finish for Ange Postecoglou’s side should be the desired goal. Liverpool however, have not quite got that same squad issue with Mohamed Salah appearing back at his best while Dominik Szoboszlai continues to shine.

Ultimately though, there are still some moments of last season’s struggles emerging when putting teams to the sword, as evidenced by the draw with Luton, and that may come back to bite them sooner rather than later. Declan Rice may have given the Gunners an extra edge but there is a serious problem in the rest of the midfield following the exit of Granit Xhaka and the current form of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

Meanwhile at Manchester City, while there have been some blips already in this campaign, Pep Guardiola and his players know exactly when to turn it on and that is why currently no team can match them stride for stride and I expect that to stay the same with a fourth consecutive Premier League title heading to Etihad Stadium.

Luke Thrower – Trends Writer

This season has started out as an open race amongst the top four – or five if you count Aston Villa – for the Premier League title. It often isn’t how you start but rather how you finish a campaign that will determine if a team is champion material, as seen last season with Arsenal.

However, this time around I back the Gunners to be in the hunt until the final game or two, with Mikel Arteta deciding to play for a more cautious approach that brings about control. It gives up their obvious attacking upside, with draws to Fulham and Chelsea clearly disappointing, but gives them a better ability to defend situations that saw them finally beat Manchester City.

Speaking of the seven-time champions, it may be a tough campaign for them off the back of winning the treble and it will be a test of Pep Guardiola’s man and squad management techniques to motivate them forwards. However, bar Jeremy Doku, his other signing