Premier League: Arsenal lead the way – but are Man City and Liverpool in the race with them?
Arsenal might not be putting a foot wrong at the moment, but are Manchester City and defending Liverpool champions still in the title race with them?
Whether 10 games is still too early to make a fair judgment of how a season might pan out, it does provide a good marker for comparison with just over a quarter of the campaign gone.
The fewest points a team has had after 10 games in the Premier League and gone on to win the title is 18 – something achieved by both Manchester clubs, with United doing so in 1992-93 and 2002-03 and City in 2020-21.
By both winning last weekend, Manchester City and Liverpool have avoided having to make Premier League history by winning the title with fewer than 18 points after 10 games.
However, the most points a team has been behind the leaders after 10 matches and still gone on to claim the trophy is six – something again achieved by both Manchester clubs, with United doing so in 2002-03 and City in 2013-14.
As both the Gunners and City picked up three points last weekend, it means they have the same points as in 2013-14, when City were six points behind then leaders Arsenal and still won the title (25 v 19).
On the other hand, Liverpool are – according to history – effectively out of the title race as they now sit seven points behind the north London side and overcoming that difference at this stage of the season has never been done before.
The Gunners’ six-point lead is, in fact, the joint-biggest ever after 10 games of a Premier League campaign and it is just the third time in the competition’s history a team has had such a big lead at this stage – with both Chelsea in 2005-06 and Liverpool in 2019-20 going on to win the title on those occasions.
Another positive sign for Arsenal supporters is that the three points picked up against Burnley last Saturday has taken them to the average number of points at this stage of the campaign for title-winning teams (25 – average is 24.7).
So, while much of the historical data points in the direction of the Premier League trophy heading to Emirates Stadium at the end of the season, this is football – and records are there to be broken.
