Premier League title race: pros and cons – Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City reviews | Soccer News

As the Premier League resumes this weekend, Sky Sports assesses the strengths and weaknesses of title challengers Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City…

liverpool

Richard Morgan of Sky Sports:

Cons: History is against the Reds.

There’s a reason Opta’s supercomputer rates Liverpool’s chances of retaining the title at just 7.1%. That’s because only four teams in Premier League history have ever overcame a deficit of eight points or more to win the title at this stage of the season (though Man United have won it four times and Man City twice).

For that to happen, not only will Arsenal and Man City both need to start dropping points, but Liverpool will also need to maintain some kind of long unbeaten streak, well beyond the teams who have lost five league games so far this season (only the bottom six have lost more).

Cons: Leaky backline does not inspire confidence

Until Arne Slott can solve the obvious defensive problems that have plagued the team all season – the champions have conceded two or more goals in seven of their 11 games this season, the second-worst record in the top flight – then they can forget about defending their title.

Part of the problem is that the Reds’ much-changed backline is struggling to defend set-pieces – and their opponents know it – having conceded seven goals from set-pieces so far this season, the second-worst record in the division.

Cons: Off-color stars do not perform well.

After Liverpool’s recent 3-0 loss to Man City, Slott said Liverpool could not spend time thinking about the title race until they had ironed out the many problems that have left them languishing in eighth place in the table.

But the Dutchman still doesn’t seem to know what his best XI is, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville reporting that £116.5m summer signing Florian Wirtz was a “big loser” at the Etihad, while fellow new signings Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkes were not even in the starting XI.

And given that many of the star players who helped Liverpool win last season’s title – key players such as Ibrahima Konate, Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah – have also been badly out of form, it’s hard to imagine that this group of players will suddenly bounce back and emerge from their current slump in time to challenge for the title.

Pro: Can the Gunners survive the heat?

But there’s still a nagging feeling that a seemingly impregnable Arsenal side might falter again in the closing stages, as they have in recent seasons. Mikel Arteta’s side overcame an eight-point advantage in April 2023 and ended up finishing five points clear of champions Man City, but after holding the lead for the past two seasons, their momentum faltered in the final stages.

And don’t forget, it’s only November and there are 27 games remaining. There will be a lot of football during this period, and there will be plenty of time before injuries or declines in form start.

Pro: The Reds got there and got the T-shirt.

Liverpool currently have a favorable game, at least on paper. They will only face one team in the current top 10 before heading to Arsenal on January 8th, looking to get their stalled season back on track.

And with a near-complete squad to choose from, including influential goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who is set to return after the international break, Slott will be able to play a central role in the team that went unbeaten in the league from September 14th to April 25th last season and won the title going into the upcoming schedule.

arsenal

Nick Wright of Sky Sports:

Cons: Man City lurking.

If they take the lead in the Premier League, will they be able to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City in second place? Arsenal have been here before. Fans are still hurt by what happened next.

Josep Guardiola’s side have bounced back to overwhelm Arsenal in two of the last three title races. The Gunners must prepare to withstand another late-season assault from a team with the one thing Arsenal still lack: title-winning experience.

Sunday, November 23rd, 4pm

4:30pm kickoff

Pros: added depth

The biggest reason to believe Arsenal can get over the line this season is the incredible depth that manager Mikel Arteta currently has.

In recent years, injuries to key players have taken a toll as there has been a lack of quality replacement players. But the team is now much better equipped to absorb blows.

Isn’t Bukayo Saka here? This is Noni Maduke. No Kai Havertz? Try Victor Gokeres. No Martin Odegaard? Use Eberechieze. No William Saliba? Cristian Mosquera could also take his place.

With the likes of Saka, Havertz, Odegaard and Saliba absent, Arsenal remain four points clear at the top of the table and the added depth has already proven invaluable.

Strengths: Defense

The best defense in the Premier League has evolved even further. Seven of Arsenal’s 11 opponents have failed to score this season. Three of them didn’t even hit a shot on target. It is difficult to create chances, let alone score against them.

The game against Sunderland reminded us that they are not unassailable, but that game, where the Black Cats scored two goals from just 0.44 expected goals chances, looks an anomaly. Arsenal have only conceded twice in open matches all season.

Strength: Advantage of set pieces

While other teams, including Liverpool, struggled to adapt to the Premier League’s move to direct play, Arsenal were well prepared. They have already reached double figures in set-piece goals this season. They are also good defensively.

Cons: Lack of liquidity?

Arsenal’s set-piece threat is a huge asset, but it’s natural to question whether their current scoring rate is sustainable. What if not?

Arsenal lack the same level of threat in general play, with 12 Premier League teams scoring more goals from open play than eight teams so far this season. The Gunners still have work to do to redress their balance and find more cutting edge in open play.

Pro: Is the timing right?

Liverpool’s best players are showing signs of age and Manchester City are still in a period of transition, but Arsenal look perfectly placed to win the title. The team is stable, cohesive and centered on players who are at or near their peak.

man city

Laura Hunter on Sky Sports:

Strengths: Fixture likability

Opta ranks Man City’s next match block as the third easiest in the division. The next five matches will be against Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. Given that they are currently Arsenal’s closest challengers by four points, it’s entirely possible that the gap will close. Arsenal, on the other hand, are in the middle of the pack when it comes to the difficulty of their upcoming matches. This season could be the perfect opportunity for City to make amends after losing two of their opening three games and conceding goals. City play first this weekend and next.

Pros: Scars are fading.

Last weekend, manager Josep Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th game as manager. If he had chosen such a landmark opponent, performance and result himself, it is hard to imagine that the result would have been so different from the 3-0 win over Liverpool. Pep has repeatedly called Liverpool his biggest rival in the Premier League. Some might even say that this result, although not conclusive, rules Arne Slott’s team out of this year’s race. It proved that City could once again dominate their direct rivals. The scars from last season’s sensational collapse appear to be fading.

Pro: Haaland and co-conspirators

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that with Erling Haaland in your team, your chances of winning the title are infinitely better. His 14 goals in the Premier League are almost twice as many as the next highest scorer (Igor Thiago’s eight). His next goal will be his 100th tournament appearance. But this is not Haaland FC. The form of Jeremy Dok and Phil Foden are the main contributors. When all three are on form, they can hurt you in a myriad of ways: out wide, center combinations, balls in behind. they can do many things.

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Weaknesses: weak defense

Paying attention to Man City’s abundance of quality at the top end, they remain vulnerable defensively. It is said that defense wins in the league, but there is no doubt that Arsenal are far more solid than City. The surprise signing of goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma in the summer has helped, but they will need to strengthen further if they are to stay at the top of the table throughout the 38-game campaign. They have dropped five points from the championship so far this season, an unsustainable rate for a title contender.

Cons: It takes a long time to gel.

While City are still known for their team characteristics, there are many new faces throughout the squad. All are promising, but few are familiar with the intensity of the league, so conditions are bound to fluctuate. Tijani Rejnders is doing well while Omar Marmouche has shown he has a lot to offer since joining last January, but it will be interesting to see how they cope over the Christmas period. If Rodri’s game time continues to be reduced, Nico Gonzalez will have a big role to play.