Premier League top six taking shape, with Chelsea in the thick of it

Chelsea may not be in any more advantageous of a situation now than at the start of the weekend, but the Premier League’s top six are starting to take shape and starting to separate from the rest of the league after wins for all six this weekend. And Chelsea are smack dab in the middle of the group, sitting in third just two points behind Spurs and Liverpool, who are separated by just goal difference at the top.

Chelsea put pressure on those two with yesterday’s 3-1 win over Leeds United, but Arsenal wilted like a sorry stinky flower in the North London Derby and José Mourinho’s men easily countered their way to a comfortable 2-0 win today. Later on, Wolves posed just as little threat to Liverpool, who continue to cobble together a backline and started a third-string goalkeeper in this one, even, and yet continue to collect points at customary pace. Their four goals today put them one ahead of Chelsea for most goals scored in the league.

There isn’t much wiggle room below us either. Leicester City remain fourth, just a point behind, after their last-minute Jamie Vardy goal and win away to winless Sheffield United, while fifth and sixth belong to the two Manchester teams, both of whom have a match-in-hand stemming from their delayed start to the season. They play each other next weekend in the Manchester Derby, so hopefully they split the points. United have rattled off four wins in a row despite Solksjær’s inadequacy while City are looking fairly juggernaut-y once again.

Obviously, we’re just into the second quarter of the Premier League season, with 10 or 11 of 38 played, so much of this can and probably will change in the weeks and months ahead. But these six teams appear to be the best of the bunch this season, with early pretenders like Everton and Aston Villa falling away and the likes of Arsenal and Wolves continuing their struggles to a surprising extent. It’s too early to count anyone out, but the title-winner will surely come from one of these six.

Aim high.

Next weekend, Spurs go to Gary Cahill’s Crystal Palace while Liverpool visit Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s Fulham. Leicester are at home to Brighton while we have another late kick-off, away to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton on Saturday. Goodison Park has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for us, but maybe this time we’ll get our first win there since the 2016-17 season.