From what I remember Arsenal clicked into gear over Easter and never looked back. Liverpool's poor form in the new year is what cost them, and uncertainty over Fergie meant United had too much catching up to do (although they were still in with a chance of winning the title in GW 37).
A genuine 3-horse title race?
- Thread starter Fortitude
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Someone posted the data in this thread showing points totals in the top 4 positions, 28 games into each season. I’d love to know where your ‘many three even four team title races’ comes from. Which year specifically?
I would like to know too when the last time there was a three horse race till the finishing line..?
this year is close but i would wait till the last 5 games to call it a real three way.
this year is close but i would wait till the last 5 games to call it a real three way.
Spurs are going to have a massive say in the title race.
They’re still to play City, Pool, Arse ….I feel sure they won’t lose against all three.
Spurs stopping Arsenal winning the Prem ….bring it on !
They’re still to play City, Pool, Arse ….I feel sure they won’t lose against all three.
Spurs stopping Arsenal winning the Prem ….bring it on !
This would be really fun, but for three appalling candidates I’d still hope Arsenal is the one winning.
then again, some here saying we’ve had genuine three horse races lately - when was the last year it’s be so close only 9 games to go?
Spurs fighting for top 4 v title hopes Arse ….game of the season.
Arsenal would be worst result for me, I know a lot of Arse supporters ….them winning the title would be a nightmare.
It depends how one defines a title race tbh but from my memory of PL history:
1997
1999
2002
2004
2008
2010
2011
2014
2016
I think it was our form from late November or early December onward. We lost 2-1 at home against 10 man Arsenal and 4-0 away at Chelsea. Then we went on a horrific run without a win.
We picked up in the new year with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, a 4-0 at Leeds and a 6-0 win at Ipswich, but I seem to remember a 1-0 defeat at spurs dealing our fate three or four games before the end of the season.
Arsenal then won at old Trafford and it was done.
Its Spurs of course they will lose all 3
Villa will also have a say ….though still think Spurs won’t lose all 3
Only in 1993, 1997, 2002, and 2014 was the 4th placed team within 6 points of the leader with 10 or less games to go.
I think a team that has 3 other teams ahead of them and is 7+ points behind the leader with 10 or less games to go is not genuinely in a title race.
Looking at the run ins I kind of still fancy Man City 
as boring as that would be
as boring as that would beLooking at the run ins I kind of still fancy Man City
So do I.
As I mentioned in the Arsenal thread, it's no longer a three horse race. It's between Klopp and Pep again, as boring as that sounds. Wouldn't be surprised if the points difference between City and Arsenal is the same as the end of last season.
I think people are being too dismissive of Arsenal.
They got 4 points v both City and Pool this season and won their previous 8 premier league games in a row.
Yesterday's match was dire, but previous iterations of the Arsenal squad would have lost that game.
They got 4 points v both City and Pool this season and won their previous 8 premier league games in a row.
Yesterday's match was dire, but previous iterations of the Arsenal squad would have lost that game.
City @ 2/1 looks very tempting
It's obviously so close that it could go any way. But looking at remaining games:
- None of the three play each other
- All three play both Villa and Spurs, one away and one home, and all three also play Wolves.
As for the three botton feeders, Arsenal plays Luton (H), Liverpool plays Sheffield United (H), City plays Luton (H). So that's more or less equal.
Beyond that Liverpool has United (A) and West Ham (A) as the most difficult fixtures.
City has Brighton (A) and West Ham (A).
Arsenal has United (A), Brighton (A) and Chelsea (H).
Everything else is Fulham or worse.
That seems the easiest for City, worst for Arsenal, no? But it's not a big difference in the quality of opposition.
- None of the three play each other
- All three play both Villa and Spurs, one away and one home, and all three also play Wolves.
As for the three botton feeders, Arsenal plays Luton (H), Liverpool plays Sheffield United (H), City plays Luton (H). So that's more or less equal.
Beyond that Liverpool has United (A) and West Ham (A) as the most difficult fixtures.
City has Brighton (A) and West Ham (A).
Arsenal has United (A), Brighton (A) and Chelsea (H).
Everything else is Fulham or worse.
That seems the easiest for City, worst for Arsenal, no? But it's not a big difference in the quality of opposition.
I'm sure Chelsea were still in the title race with 5 games to go in the 1999 treble season or maybe im wrong?
It's actually not even a two horse race now, City have already won. We just have the illusion of a title race, Liverpool and Arsenal aren't involved anymore.
We won't win because we don't have the experience of winning titles and Liverpool won't win because there isn't a global pandemic distracting everyone else.
It's a two horse race that we will lose. Like two seasons ago, on goal difference.
It's not a three horse because on Sunday you politely withdrew yourselves. And then celebrated this fact straight after.
Do you want to maybe have a look at the table when football stopped in 2020? We were two games away from winning it.
The 'COVID' title was 2020/21. No fans all season, games being postponed etc.
Yh, I said three and four team races. Point is, this isn't the first one.
1pt between them with 7 games to go.
Manchester City will probably win it and while I usually enjoy the football Liverpool plays it's good to see Arsenal in the mix.
You and that other poster playing silly buggers just to one-up the other.
It is so clearly a three-horse title race with one point separating the three of you (albeit Liverpool have a game-in-hand). No side can be out of it with the deficit so slim. It’s facetious to suggest otherwise.
Fair enough, though I had ruled last season to be a one horse race (i.e City) when Arsenal were TOP!! It's not the points, it's the bottle attitude.
I fear this Arsenal side are made of sterner stuff this time round and they’ve got Saliba fit which makes a massive difference.
Surprised more people aren’t thinking Arsenal. They seem to be battering teams and not conceding many goals.
I don’t like the fact that this is two matches in a row we are playing after City and Arsenal have played. It’s just adds more pressure. Anyway it’s 100% anyone of the three getting it done with no one with an advantage now that Arsenal look to have the right mindset.
Exciting title race. Totally sucks being a United fan at the moment. Probably all 3 clubs I’d rather not have win the league are in it.
It is a great title race and certainly a 3-horse race. As much as we all can’t stand them, you’ve got to take your hat off to Arsenal, they’ve been relentless in recent weeks, just when most expected them to ‘bottle it’. There’s still time for that for any of the 3 teams, I suppose, but they all seem to be focused on getting the job done, which is what you usually see from title winning sides at this stage of the season.
Yeah, couldn’t agree more. All that keeps me going is that surely we can only get better from here? With Klopp off and the positive noises around our partial takeover, we should close the gap on Liverpool at least, next season. Seeing the sort of performances and points totals serious title contenders are hitting these days, though, it seems so far away for us at the moment.
Agreed re Arsenal & (begrudgingly) Arteta. They seem to have matured since last season and signing someone like Rice has certainly helped with that as well.
Yep, we can only hope! There’s obviously the slim chance we sign a 2-3 players in key areas, who all hit the ground running, we remain injury free next season (yeah right!) and key youngsters mature even more (Hojlund, Mainoo, Garnacho) and we manage to really kick on next season. But that just seems like wishful thinking right now. We’re probably another 2-3 years away. Sigh.
It does feel that way but things can change quickly in football. We are a much better side when we’ve got all our best players fit but we need to create a squad where we can handle injuries better. I hate to say it, but Liverpool have had some big defensive injuries this season and I looked at their back 4 last weekend in their win over Brighton and they had Bradley, Quansah and also Gomez playing at left back. They won the game and had 30 shots. When a club is playing well and has an identity, they can cope with setbacks, just look at ourselves under SAF when we’d use the whole squad and still maintain standards.
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Yep, nothing to disagree with here.
I think Arsenal can win out. But if City do go top at any point in the rest of the season with no games in hand for anyone, that's that. I mean this is a team that needed 3 goals in 30 mins or something in the final game and did it comfortably.
I’ve felt it would be Arsenal for a long time simply becuase they have played the best football for most of the season. People are just burnt by last season where they played the best football for 2/3rds and then fell apart.
One horse race again like last season then?
Which horse do you even mean? All three teams will be within one point if this holds (which I doubt it will).
Check
Go on arsenal, do it you pricks