The Premier League title race is shaping up completely differently to this time last season thanks to Liverpool’s major dip in form.
The Reds had 16 points more at this stage last term, giving them a ten-point lead over Leicester City in second place.
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Liverpool continued in that dominant manner as the 2019/20 season went on, with Jurgen Klopp’s side eventually finishing on 99 points and winning their first title in 30 years.
The reigning champions remain top of the table at the moment, but on only 33 points, with Manchester United also having a game in hand over their rivals…
After 17 games last season, 10 points separated 1st and 2nd.
This season, 10 points separate 1st and 12th. pic.twitter.com/Q8HQ8oJg84
— Alex Kay-Jelski (@AlexKayJelski) January 5, 2021
As Alex Kay-Jelski also says in the tweet above, ten points is now the gap between 1st and 12th place in the table.
That’s a huge change, and it seems this is mostly due to Liverpool’s decline, rather than due to anyone else improving in particular.
If Leicester had the same number of points as they had at this stage last season, they’d be six points clear at the top of the table rather than ten points behind as they were then.
This is an extremely open title race and it’s clearly far too early to call a winner, with Tottenham starting well and Chelsea perhaps still in the running despite their recent blip.
Everton and Aston Villa have also shown some promise so far, and surely cannot be ruled out as the usual big six just don’t look their old reliable selves just now.